North Carolina has successfully recruited Julien Horton, a mid-three-star safety, to join their 2025 recruiting class.
Horton initially committed to Maryland but changed his mind after visiting North Carolina. The 6-foot, 175-pound player hails from Bel Air (Md.) High.
“The UNC visit went well,” Horton told Inside Carolina on Sunday. “I saw a lot of things. UNC is a great place. It was a great visit… I can definitely see myself there.”
A month after committing to Maryland, Julien Horton began receiving interest from Charlton Warren, UNC’s secondary coach.
“Coach Warren is a great guy,” Horton told Inside Carolina before this weekend’s official visit. “He’s kept it straight up for me from the jump. You can tell he just wants the best interest for you. Even though he’s trying to flip me, he’s not trying to bash Maryland — he just basically shows me what UNC offers.”
Horton had initially planned official visits to Maryland, Minnesota, and West Virginia, but canceled the latter two after committing to Maryland. He visited Maryland a week before his UNC visit. Michigan also expressed interest late in the spring, offering him a visit in early June.
As a junior, Horton recorded 28 tackles, three pass breakups, and an interception. He also scored 11 offensive touchdowns in various ways. Rated as a mid-three-star recruit, Horton is ranked No. 78 among safeties and No. 894 overall by the Composite, which also lists him as the No. 22 prospect in Maryland.
Horton is the second defensive back and the 11th overall recruit to pledge to the Tar Heels for the 2025 class, joining high-three-star safety Javion Butts.
Butts, who also visited Chapel Hill recently like Horton, expressed optimism about their potential commitments to UNC. He particularly felt positive about Horton and another recruit, Byron Nelson, who is currently uncommitted.
Horton’s decision has raised UNC’s class to No. 41 in the 247Sports Team Rankings, up from No. 49.
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