2023 DL Joshua Horton makes 'business decision' picks North Carolina

Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes defensive lineman Joshua Horton went on his last official visit to North Carolina with an open mind.

The Tar Heels blew Horton and his family away. He is now on board with North Carolina. The three-star defensive lineman Horton chose the Tar Heels over Auburn, UCF and others. It was a business decision and one with his eyes on the years that come after football ends.

“It’s one of the best academic schools in America,” Horton told On3. “There’s not much more to say… They were my last official and I knew who the final three were. I went on the visits and picked which one was the best. We all went up there open-minded. We didn’t know what to expect. They blew us away.”

Horton fell in love with the details of North Carolina.

“They spoke a lot about family,” Horton said. “It’s a family atmosphere. They say a lot of little things. They’re not going to force you to commit. A lot of schools try to force you to commit, they throw it in your face. It’s the little things like that which shows the business. At the end of the day, football is a business.”

North Carolina has a solid group in the defensive line room already. Horton says he didn’t focus on the depth chart.

He doesn’t mind learning from the older generation of Tar Heels on the roster in a bid to improve himself as a player.

“It’s a strong defensive line room,” Horton said. “I feel like they’ve picked up a lot. It was something that could be looked at as a disadvantage. People say ‘oh you’re going to go and sit on the bench’. You can go in and learn from those guys and gravitate and grow from them.”