Heel Tough Blog: 2026 4✮ RB Reclassifies to 2025 Class

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The Tar Heels lost one true freshman running back to the portal but gained another with a reclassification of one of their top 2026 prospects.

As he announced via social media on Friday, 2026 4✮ RB Jaylen McGill is reclassifying to the 2025 class and will join the Tar Heels in the fall.

McGill, the No. 255 overall prospect and No. 18 running back in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite Player Rankings at the time of his commitment, hails from Mountain View Preparatory School in Spartanburg, SC. This past season, as a junior, he finished with 1,658 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns on just 163 carries on his way to being named the Region 3 AAA Offensive Player of the Year. He also caught 22 passes for 379 yards and seven touchdowns. Prior to that, he spent two seasons at Broome High School in Spartanburg where he ran for 2,638 yards and 47 touchdowns on 319 carries and caught 17 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He was also named a MaxPreps All-American in both years.

This is an interesting decision by McGill but he gives the backfield another talented option for this season. More than likely, he won’t see many, if any, offensive snaps this season, but he’ll spend the year learning from some of the other talented backs in the room and getting acclimated to Bill Belichick’s demanding culture. This sets up nicely for McGill to be a big part of the Tar Heel backfield in 2026 and beyond.