UNC's Jaydon Young Talks About Fulfilling Dream With Childhood Team

North Carolina guard Jaydon Young met with the media in the press conference room at the Smith Center. He discussed transferring from Virginia Tech to play for his childhood favorite team, the Tar Heels.

To watch, check out the video below!

Here is a partial transcript:

Jaydon, as a guy who grew up in North Carolina, is from here and everything, like, when you got in the portal, was Chapel Hill where you were mentally aiming, or were you excited to sort of, to have it happen the way it did?

UNC — North Carolina guard Jaydon Young going up for a layup with Luka Bogavac and James Brown in the background at the Blue-White scrimmage. | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels

Definitely excited to have it happen how it did. They weren't really on my radar when I first got in the portal. I did kind of fast because a lot of people were calling. I didn't really like that.

I was ready to be somewhere and start working on my game, so it really didn't all pan out until after I committed to High Point University. The coach ended up leaving, and a few people started calling, so that's where this ended up coming from.

The last thing, real quickly, did Coach Young draw up more shots for you after that?

Yeah, yeah, he definitely did, and he also just kind of gave me a little ring, like, he was just telling me to go ahead and try to do what I could do, so.

How do you sort of see yourself fitting in with the rest of the premier guys at UNCM this home season? Like, what can sort of your role be in your eyes?

UNC — Senior Seth Trimble at the 2025 ACC Tipoff | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Honestly, outside of, like, putting the ball in the basket and stuff like that, I really just want to bring energy to the game, play as hard as I possibly can, compete on the defensive side of the ball, and then obviously make shots when I get them, but that's not really what I'm pressing for.

What types of lessons do you kind of take from those guys that you have kind of carried with you in your first couple years of college?

UNC — Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jaydon Young (3) reacts to a play against the California Golden Bears during the second half at Spectrum Center. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Yeah, so Sean and Hunter definitely taught me a lot coming in my freshman year. Just sitting behind those guys taught me, really, like, the ins and outs of everything, you got to have a strict schedule. You really got to do things the right way to treat this to, treat it like you're a pro, honestly.

So coming here, just seeing, like, guys like Caleb or a guy like Isaiah Dennis, just being able to give them little small tips, like in practice, when you do get tired, you got to push through. You can't really show it. So just little things like that that I can just kind of feed them in practice and stuff. Show response with the news

Your dad played at Mount Olive. How does that help you as a player? What was he telling you going into this process, and how have you kind of taken it now that you've been in it?

UNC — Oct 4, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Jaydon Young (4) and guard Evan Smith (32) fight for the ball in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Yeah, my whole life, my dad, he's just been right there. He's my trainer, my coach for a long time. So, one of the lessons that he really taught me was just never get too high, never get

too low, no matter what's going on. So, through high school, through college, I never really let the outside noise or adversity really affect me. Just like I said earlier, I laid it myself, really. And I just showed everybody what I could do. So, I definitely give my dad the credit for that.

What was the conversation like with him when you told him you were coming here? Honestly, he presented it to me. He got the first call. I think we just sat there and looked at each other for about two minutes. And then he just explained everything that was going on, and I said, I told him I was going to be a target of my whole life.

UNC — Mar 18, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot “Rameses” walks the court in the first half against the San Diego State Aztecs at UD Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Given your fandom, what were your emotions when you played Carolina?

UNC — Feb 19, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels fans cheer in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

My first year we came here, and that was probably the most focused I've ever been in my life. Yeah, it was pretty crazy. But being in an away locker room doesn't really feel the same as being in a home locker room. So, honestly, I just wanted to come out, see if I could make a few shots.

Obviously, I was behind Hunter Couture, and I didn't really expect the game to go like it did. I played a lot more than I thought, but really just trying to be simple and sound, not mess up while I was out there, to be honest.

UNC — North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis at the 2025 ACC Tipoff | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

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