Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 15-10@ TCU | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 35-3vs East Tennessee State | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#18
Jaiden Patterson
Junior defensive back on North Carolina's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 195 lb · Dacula, GA · Mill Creek
CFB Index 52 · #174 of 364 cornersLow confidenceReturning to North Carolina for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
4★
S recruit
No. 288 nationally · Signed with North Carolina
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on North Carolina's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to North Carolina in 2024.
In Their Words
96 windows · 2026 fan posts
tcu×40.0north×17.4carolina×13.2
Jaiden Patterson
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Three seasons at North Carolina, two different head coaches: Freddie Kitchens and Bill Belichick. The receipt on tape: 3 tackles against TCU, Week 1, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with North Carolina4-star out of Mill Creek
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
North Carolina
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Freddie Kitchens
North Carolina
2025–2026era →
Bill Belichick
North Carolina
Coaching transition mid-career: Freddie Kitchens → Bill Belichick. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024North Carolina6-7HC: Freddie Kitchens · Run-leaning
2025North Carolina4-8HC: Bill Belichick · Balanced, slow tempo
2026North Carolina2-0HC: Bill Belichick · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 2.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bill Belichick
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
52 · #174 of 364 corners
Former four-star. Now #174 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #36 of 75 ACC DBs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | North Carolina | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | North Carolina | 33 | 22 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | North Carolina | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 40 | 27 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 15–10
at TCU
3 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 PD
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 on the road.
With B. Edwards — 232 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 77.2 · -4 rush yds (7 car) · A. Burrell — 28 LONG · 67 PCT · 7 PTS
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
North Carolina
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · North Carolina
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -12 net (19 in / 31 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
North Carolina · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #28 · 2026 recruiting class #19
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tao Johnson’s 2023 season.
83%match
Matches Tao on
Tackle volume
PD rate
TFL rate
Differs from Tao on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Kaiir Elam's sophomore season at Florida (2021).
84%match
All-SECNFL Rd 1 · Pk 23
Matches Kaiir on
Weight
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaiden Patterson
Background
2025 Sophomore Season Turned in a strong sophomore season Appeared in all 12 games, earning the start in six Made his first career start against Clemson Finished the season with 34 tackles, including 23 solo stops Recorded two tackles for loss Snagged his first career interception against Richmon...
The secondary · North Carolina
- #2Kaleb Cost45 tackles · 2025
- #18Jaiden Patterson33 tackles · 2025
- #1Gregory Smith20 tackles · 2025
- #16Coleman Bryson16 tackles · 2025
- #3Ade Willie16 tackles · 2025
16 more on the roster · North Carolina team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology