Coming from Maryland, Julien Horton probably never thought that he would end up being a 3-star high safety during his college football career. Committed to UNC right now, Horton kick-started his career while playing for Bel Air. Over there, the dude managed to get crowned The Aegis Football Player of the Year. Not only that, Horton has recorded around 32 tackles on the defensive, and if that wasn’t enough, the guy manages to slay on the offense as well. Playing for Bel Air Bobcats during his junior season, he got around 8 TDs and 65 catches.

This kid is also blessed with 2-way capabilities, playing SAF and WR. Securing him on the team has to be the biggest win for UNC. Horton has been marked as the No.78 safety in the country by 247Sports and also the No.894 national prospect. Bel Air defensive backs coach Julian Pickett was taken aback when he first saw Horton on the field. “He came to me over the winter time…The kids told me he was a fast kid and worked hard. I was like ‘I just hope he shows up,” Pickett mentioned during an interview. But when Horton put on his cleats and hit the turf, Pickett was surprised.

The 6-foot talent had a speed that was hard to believe. Pickett noted that Horton’s film does not do him justice. “When you watch his film and then see him in person, his film doesn’t do him justice,” Pickett noted while urging that to understand how skilled Horton was, people have to check him out in person. UNC fans would be pleased that Horton decided to flip. However, what did make him change his mind?

Flipping from the Maryland

While initially Horton was committed to Maryland, an offer from UNC made him change his mind. He flipped to UNC just about 4 days after he had pledged to Maryland. “I saw a lot of things. UNC is a great place. It was a great visit,” Horton mentioned during an interview. The thing that stood out for Horton the most and ultimately led to him finalizing his decision was UNC secondary coach Charlton Warren. Even though Warren wanted to flip Horton, he never once bashed Maryland in any way.

Recruiting him managed to push UNC’s class of 2025 to rank No.24 in the nation and rank no.4 in the ACC. He marks the 11th commitment for UNC. “He knows he’s good, but he won’t tell you he’s good,” Pickett had mentioned regarding Horton. Pretty sure fans cannot wait to see what this guy does for UNC.