4-star running back George Pettaway commits to North Carolina

Suffolk (Va.) Nansemond-Suffolk Academy four-star running back George Pettaway committed to North Carolina on Wednesday, choosing the Tar Heels over Penn State, Florida and Oregon.

Pettaway said that North Carolina checked all of the boxes for him.

“The vibe of the school and atmosphere really stood out to me,” Pettaway said. “Coach (Mack) Brown doing what he has already done, and trying to build even more off of that makes me want to be a part of something special like this.”

Relationships key for George Pettaway

George Pettaway back said that the bonds he built with the North Carolina coaches were key in his decision.

“Coach Brown formed a relationship with me and my family,” Pettaway said. “He made me a priority. Coach (Larry) Porter, the running backs coach, is a person that I talk to on a day-to-day basis. He has made an effort to teach me and my family, and me off the field, too.”

“Coach (Dre) Bly is from the 757, where I’m from He has done it on this side of the water. He has been at this school and done it on that field. Having that in your back pocket, a person you can look up to and ask questions and learn from is key.”

George Pettaway visited North Carolina in both the summer and this fall for a game. Both trips gave him an opportunity to learn more about the school on and off the field.

“The summer visit was cool,” Pettaway said. “I got to learn everything about the school, other than just football. I was able to spend the whole weekend with them and feel things out, which was good. We were able to do a lot of off the field things, a lot of things that weren’t football-related.”

“When I was at the game the vibe was just everything to me. From the fans, to the atmosphere, to how you saw the coaches coaching, and the players on the sideline. It was just really good.”

Pettaway ready to help UNC land more stars

Now that George Pettaway is committed, he is ready to start doing some recruiting for the Tar Heels. 

“I will most definitely be recruiting Zach Rice and Andre Greene,” Pettaway said. “They are both from Virginia, where I’m from, and we are for sure not done yet.”