Jaydon Young Coming Home: North Carolina Native Joins UNC to Continue Tar Heel Legacy
The tradition continues in Chapel Hill a North Carolina kid putting on the Carolina Blue, ready to fight for his home state school. On April 25th, Jaydon Young, a 6-foot-4 guard from Goldsboro, made it official: he’s coming home to play for the Tar Heels.
For head coach Hubert Davis and UNC basketball, this isn’t just another transfer portal addition. This is a legacy move. Over the past decade, North Carolina natives have played pivotal roles in the Tar Heels’ biggest moments from Theo Pinson and Kennedy Meeks leading the charge in 2017, to Leaky Black’s defensive heroics and Coby White’s star turn in the NBA. Now, Jaydon Young hopes to add his name to that proud list.
After two seasons at Virginia Tech, Young arrives in Chapel Hill with something to prove and everything to gain. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.1 points per game but that doesn’t tell the full story. In his final six ACC games last season, Young exploded, averaging 16.3 points per game and showing real scoring chops that hint at a breakthrough year ahead.
He’s not just a transfer he’s a need.
With RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, and Ian Jackson all departing, UNC finds itself reshaping its backcourt. Jaydon Young is stepping into a vacuum of opportunity and with his physical frame, tenacity, and scoring instincts, he may be the surprise piece who helps keep the Tar Heels in contention.
At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Young brings a sturdy, college-ready build to the guard position. He isn’t afraid of contact, knows how to get to the rim, and plays with the kind of chip on his shoulder that Tar Heel fans adore. His 3-point shot needs more consistency just under 30% last year but his stretch run at Virginia Tech showed a player gaining confidence and beginning to understand his own potential.
He won’t be alone in carrying the load. Young joins a backcourt alongside Seth Trimble, now the elder statesman, and Kyan Evans, a dynamic scorer from Colorado State. Together, they form a trio capable of pushing the pace, locking down defensively, and with growth lighting it up on the scoreboard.
But beyond the stats and strategy, Young’s arrival marks something even deeper: the continuation of a Carolina bond that stretches across generations. Born in the same Goldsboro soil as Coby White, Young has watched what’s possible when hometown kids stay home and rise. Now, he’ll walk the same tunnel into the Dean Dome, wearing that same jersey, chasing that same dream.
His commitment comes during a crucial offseason for Hubert Davis one that has already seen five portal additions and a flurry of roster change. But if history has shown us anything, it’s that when a North Carolina native commits to UNC, something special tends to follow.
Jaydon Young knows the weight of the jersey he’s about to wear. He knows the names that came before him. And now, it’s his turn to write his chapter.
Welcome home, Jaydon. Tar Heel Nation is ready.
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