The North Carolina Tar Heels’ football program is adding another piece to the 2026 recruiting class.
On Tuesday night, Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels landed a commitment from a three-star combo athlete, Jaden Jefferson, from De La Salle High School in Concord, California.
Jefferson can play mainly defensive back and wide receiver. Most recently, the country had lifted high Travis Hunter, who played both positions at an extremely high level in college football.
247Sports lists Jefferson as a three-star with an 88 ranking. His composite score is also a .8800 as the No. 43 ranked player in the state.
According to Greg Biggins, a 247Sports analyst, Jefferson is worth more than his three-star label.
He brings a ton of positional versatility to the table and could play corner, nickel, slot receiver as well as return punts and kicks. His speed is definitely his best attribute, and he had a big sophomore year on the track last Spring. He’s elusive in the open field and a threat to score every time he touches the football. He can stop and start on a dime and routinely makes multiple players miss with the ball in his hands. He has loose hips and can change direction without having to gear down too much. He has even played some running back and depending on the scheme, is a player we think can be dangerous if you game plan to give him a set amount of touches every game.
Coach Belichick is continuing to build his roster for his first season as the captain of the ship, and Jefferson will prove to be a unique piece in that puzzle heading forward.
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