UNC football extends offer to Class of 2026 wide receiver

Over the weekend, the UNC football program has already been paying attention to its 2026 recruiting class. On Friday morning, the Tar Heels extended an offer to Jordon Gidron, a wide receiver from Columbia, South Carolina.

That tweet wasn't a misprint. Gidron's conversation with UNC football wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway entered the Tar Heels into a clown car for Gidron's services. At the time, North Carolina was the 16th school to extend Gidron an offer. He also had offers from Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, Cincinnati, Indiana, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. Since Friday morning, Gidron has also received offers from Tennessee and Illinois.

Gidron came out like a house afire as a freshman at Columbia's Ridge View High. According to Recruiting News Guru, he was already known as "a big target with possession receiver hands and speed that can stretch defenses." That skill set garnered early interest from FBS schools and got him listed by The (Columbia) State as one of 60 players to watch in the South Carolina Midlands. Considering that South Carolina has long been a gold mine for high school talent, getting on that list as a sophomore speaks volumes.

He more than lived up to the billing, garnering 731 receiving yards on 45 receptions, including 10 touchdowns. He also rolled up 16.2 yards per catch. That performance got him a spot on The State's all-Midlands team. According to Gamecock Digest, Gidron's performance at a South Carolina football camp may have been a harbinger of things to come. Gamecocks wide receivers coach Justin Stepp was so impressed with Gidron that he invited Gidron to work out with the upperclassmen.

For an idea why Stepp was so impressed, watch a clip of Gidron's performance at the 2022 NextGen All-America Camp in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Gidron is also an excellent student; he boasts a 4.6 GPA. That likely explains why he's attracted interest from several schools with strong academic backgrounds.