An Ohio State visit was a late addition for Jarquez Carter. Each weekend of June was accounted for on his official visit calendar so the Newberry (Fla.) High defensive lineman show-horned in a midweek official visit to Ohio State.
It proved to be the pivotal visit because the 6-foot-2, 284-pound Carter announced his commitment to the Buckeyes on Thursday.
The Buckeyes had Carter on its radar for a while. They offered in November and defensive line coach Larry Johnson stayed in contact with him, which was meaningful as the process reached its conclusion.
VIP: DL Jarquez Carter dissects important factors with Ohio State commitment
The competition within the program was another factor that drew Carter to Ohio State.
“They have a great O-line and a great D-line,” Carter said. “So going against each other in practice, that helps you be prepared for games.”
As a junior, Carter was credited with 67 tackles, including 37 for loss and nine sacks, and he had 15 quarterback hits.
That followed a sophomore season in which he made 78 tackles, including 23 for loss and 10 sacks, as well as eight quarterback hits.
Here’s everything you need to know:
WHAT JARQUEZ CARTER SAYS ABOUT OHIO STATE
“I’m going to Ohio State,” Carter said. “It’s just the program they have built around there, in the next five years they will be the best program in college football and Larry Johnson is a legend. I feel like being coached by him, I am going to get to be where I need to be. “
WHO ELSE WAS IN THE MIX?
Carter made official visits to Florida, Penn State, UCF, Miami and Ohio State, and each one made big impressions. The Gators play 15 miles from Newberry so there was always the pull of the local program. Carter and his family loved the atmosphere at Penn State, and the Nittany Lions made a strong push a month ago. The idea of being a centerpiece of UCF’s class was appealing and the lore of Miami’s history had the Hurricanes in a good spot at times but the idea of playing for a college football playoff regular and being coached by Johnson allowed Ohio State to win out.
WHERE JARQUEZ CARTER RANKS AS A RECRUIT
Carter has a 247Sports grade of 88, which makes him the nation’s No. 44 defensive lineman and Florida‘s No. 61 player. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite has Carter as a four-star prospect, the No. 42 defensive lineman and No. 394 player in the class of 2025.
HOW JARQUEZ CARTER FITS WITH OHIO STATE
Carter adds to what is a deep Ohio State class. He is the 24th member and the sixth defensive lineman. There is a pair of edge rushers in the class joining projected inside players London Merritt of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG, Maxwell Roy of Philadelphia St. Joseph’s and Trajen Odom of Matthews (N.C.) Weddington. His commitment adds to the Buckeyes’ top-rated class in the nation.
WHAT WE THINK ABOUT JARQUEZ CARTER
Andrew Ivins, who is the director of scouting for 247Sports, shared his thoughts on Carter.
“He’s an interior plug that brings the energy. On the smaller side and equipped with some shorter arms, but makes up for it with his active hands and short-area movement skills. Also notable that he’s younger for the grade, which means he could very well undergo a major physical transformation in the coming years.
“Put up big production numbers as a junior after doing the same as both a freshman and a sophomore. Hasn’t faced the stiffest competition to date, but he makes his presence constantly felt as he pushes pockets and tracks down ball carriers.
“I like the pickup for the Buckeyes because I think he fits in a 4-3 front and he pairs nicely with Trajen Odom, who is probably more of a nose long term. Type of lineman that can be effective on stunts and should be able to offer some valuable snaps after a developmental year or two. Might not be considered a headliner in the class, but these types of defensive tackles are the ones that usually come with a high price tag in the transfer portal.”
