CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina welcomed 21 early enrollees ahead of spring practice, including five defensive backs.
As the early enrollees were made available to the media, Tar Heel Illustrated sat down with 3-star cornerback Jaiden Patterson. Below is his bio, notes about the conversation, and the interview. Note, the interview was done right before spring practice started.
Jaiden Patterson
Defensive Back
6-foot-1, 180 pounds
Mill Creek High School/Dacula, GA
• An early enrollee who is a four-star prospect ranked as the nation’s 175th-best player, the No. 13 safety and the 20th-best player in Georgia by 247Sports
• A versatile athlete who returned two INTs for TDs, caught four TD passes, returned two punts for TDs and blocked six kicks during his final two prep seasons
• Posted 102 tackles, three INTs and 22 PBUover that span
• Led Mill Creek to a 12-1 record and the third round of the playoffs as a senior
• Recorded 47 tackles, three INTs, two INT returns for TDs, nine PBU and two forced fumbles, while posting 387 receiving yards and 4 TDS
• Helped Mill Creek to the 7A state championship as a junior
• Had 55 tackles and 13 PBU to go along with four blocked kicks and two punt return TDs
• Also competed in track and field
• A six-time Junior Olympic medalist
• School record holder in the 200 and 400 meters
• Coached by Josh Lovelady
Personal
Son of LaChetta and Marlon Patterson • Birthday is Aug. 4.
Here are several notes and excerpts from the interview:
*In coming to North Carolina, Patterson joins a veteran-laden defensive back room. The experience of his fellow Tar Heels and position mates has helped make the transition to college football easier than expected. Patterson referenced three players in particular that have already been a positive influence.
“One of the big three [is] (Antavious) 'Stick' Lane. He’s an incredible leader. He’s always showing us what to do. Then we got Elijah Huzzie, Huzzie’s a dog. He helps us with our footwork. And then [Will] Hardy, he’s going to help us out with the playbook and he’s going to get us right.”
*Making the jump from high school to college can be a challenge both on the field and in the classroom. For Patterson, he’s noticed the biggest difference and he’s embracing it.
“I love the workouts. They’re really competition-based because we have 22 new people coming in. We’re just working hard to compete and show the coaches why we’re here. It’s a little bit of a jump, but not that big of a jump because we were doing MAT Drills in high school and stuff like that. I love it.”
*Even with the competition, the Tar Heels’ defensive backs are forming relationships ahead of spring practice.
“We got a tight bond. It’s cool. We got nine new defensive backs, six freshmen and three [transfers].”
*Patterson understands that playing time is a privilege and not a right. There is no guarantee that he will see action on defense as a freshman, but he hopes to make an impact wherever possible, particularly on special teams.
*In high school, he was known for his ability to block punts, which he credits his background in track for helping him become successful at.
*Ultimately, Patterson says the staff sees him fitting into the puzzle at strong safety, a place he hopes to find success at thanks in part to his admiration and studying of Hall of Famer Ed Reed.
*To do that, however, Patterson is focused on improving his game, one day at a time.
“I feel like what I need to improve on is definitely be more active in the run fit. I didn’t get a lot of that in high school because we were more of a cover team.”
*His first true reps as a college athlete will come when the pads are introduced, and Patterson is ready for the occasion.
“I’m always going to be up for the challenge.”
