Jaydon Young is the latest North Carolinian set to play for UNC basketball.
Young, a Virginia Tech transfer, committed to head coach Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels on April 25, becoming the fifth player to choose UNC via the portal ahead of the 2025-26 season.
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Going back the last 10 years, UNC has leaned on the production of several North Carolina natives, including four key players on the 2017 national championship team: Greensboro’s Theo Pinson, Charlotte’s Kennedy Meeks, Oxford’s Isaiah Hicks and Huntersville’s Luke Maye.
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Pittsboro’s Drake Powell and Charlotte’s Jae’Lyn Withers were major pieces for the Tar Heels in Hubert Davis’ fourth season as head coach. Concord’s Leaky Black helped UNC get to the 2022 Final Four and left Chapel Hill as one of the program’s best defenders.
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Along with Young, Chapel Hill’s Jarin Stevenson and Davidson’s Isaiah Denis, are North Carolinians on the 2025-26 roster.
Goldsboro’s Coby White has arguably become the Tar Heels’ top pro as a guard for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. As a fellow Goldsboro native, Young hopes to experience his own success as a Tar Heel.
Jaydon Young stats, what he can bring to UNC basketball
The Tar Heels are replacing three of their top four guards from last season, meaning Young fills an immediate area of need on UNC’s roster. Gone are RJ Davis – the Tar Heels’ second-leading scorer in program history – facilitator Elliot Cadeau (Michigan) and microwave scorer Ian Jackson (St. John’s).
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Senior guard Seth Trimble and Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans, along with Young, are projected to be the Tar Heels’ top three guards next season. Trimble (11.6 points per game) and Evans (10.6 ppg) are the only guards on UNC’s roster to average double-digit points at the college level.
A 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard as a sophomore, Young averaged 8.1 points per game in a mostly reserve role for the Hokies. He averaged 10.5 points across 10 starts, but Young was a 34.7% shooter. Young made just 29.6% of his 3-pointers last season, so he’ll need more consistency in Chapel Hill.
There were flashes of the scoring potential, with Young putting together an impressive stretch in the final six ACC games. In those six games, Young averaged 16.3 points on 40% shooting, including two games with at least 26 points. The Tar Heels need Young to carry that offensive success to Chapel Hill, where he could play a vital role as a key contributor next season.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Jaydon Young could play key role for UNC basketball in 2025-26 season
