Overview
- Amare Patterson verbally committed to North Carolina on Saturday, becoming the 16th pledge in UNC's 2027 class.
- Patterson is a four-star, 6-foot-1 receiver from Ridgeland High who 247Sports lists at No. 173 nationally and as one of South Carolina's top prospects.
- UNC offered Patterson in early June and won him after a campus visit last weekend, with the school beating offers from Florida, Georgia, LSU, Georgia Tech and South Carolina.
- Patterson told reporters that his confidence in the program grew after meeting Coach Bill Belichick and the staff and that player relationships made him feel like part of a brotherhood.
- Because he is the highest-ranked commit in the class so far, Patterson's quick pledge is a tangible recruiting win for Belichick that helps counter recent roster losses and criticism and raises the stakes for UNC to convert verbal commits on National Signing Day.