Ohio State has landed its third defensive tackle in less than a month.
Four-star defensive tackle Jarquez Carter became the latest highly touted defensive line recruit to commit to OSU's 2025 recruiting class on Thursday, joining Maxwell Roy and Trajen Odom at the position.
The Carter File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-2/284
- Pos: DT
- School: Newberry (Newberry, Florida)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #395 (#42 DL)
Carter earned his OSU offer on Nov. 19 after taking a gameday visit to Ohio Stadium and instantly fell in love with what the Buckeyes had to offer.
“It meant a lot to me,” Carter told Eleven Warriors of OSU offering him. “That just let me know, if I can get an offer from Ohio State, I can get an offer from anywhere. It meant a lot that Larry Johnson thought I had enough ability to play for him.
“It felt great knowing all the great defensive linemen they’ve produced, that was a big-time offer for me,” Carter added. “(Coach Day) told me that he really appreciated me coming all the way to Ohio State from Florida, he said that means a lot and shows I’m really interested in the school. He said ‘If you show interest in me, I’ll show interest in you.’"
BREAKING: Class of 2025 DL Jarquez Carter has Committed to Ohio State, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 18, 2024
The 62 280 DL from Newberry, FL chose the Buckeyes over Miami, Penn State, & Florida
Im home! Lets bring a Natty back to Columbus!https://t.co/dFAvDoJIu4 pic.twitter.com/o5UTMcrd0n
Carter visited OSU multiple times over his recruitment, including last fall for a gameday visit, last spring for a spring practice and in June for an official visit. The Buckeyes bested the likes of Miami, Florida, Penn State and UCF for his commitment. Larry Johnson's persistence was a big reason OSU landed Carter in the end, as Carter said Johnson consistently texts him schemes OSU runs and checks in on him weekly.
“Just based on all the people that (coach Johnson) has developed and all the greats he’s gotten to the NFL and how they’re producing in the NFL,” Carter said of the appeal of playing for Johnson.
With Carter now in the fold, OSU has 24 commitments in its 2025 class including six commits on the defensive line, where he joins defensive ends Zahir Mathis, Zion Grady and London Merritt in addition to Roy and Odom. The Buckeyes could still add further to that defensive line class as Carter’s addition won't stop OSU's pursuit of four-star 2025 defensive tackle Malik Autry, nor will it prevent the Buckeyes from heavily pursuing five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart should he reclassify to 2025.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #5 NATL | #1 CB | 6-2 | 170 | North Shore (Houston, Texas) |
| CB | NA'EEM OFFORD | ★★★★★ | #7 NATL | #3 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Parker (Birmingham, Alabama) |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★★ | #9 NATL | #2 QB | 6-4 | 210 | Bellefontaine (Bellefontaine, Ohio) |
| LB | RILEY PETTIJOHN | ★★★★★ | #29 NATL | #3 LB | 6-1 | 215 | McKinney (McKinney, Texas) |
| S | FAHEEM DELANE | ★★★★ | #35 NATL | #2 S | 6-2 | 195 | Good Counsel (Olney, Maryland) |
| WR | QUINCY PORTER | ★★★★ | #45 NATL | #7 WR | 6-3 | 190 | Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| LB | TARVOS ALFORD | ★★★★ | #47 NATL | #5 LB | 6-2 | 210 | Vero Beach (Vero Beach, Florida) |
| OT | CARTER LOWE | ★★★★ | #49 NATL | #6 OT | 6-5 | 290 | Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) |
| DE | ZAHIR MATHIS | ★★★★ | #62 NATL | #6 Edge | 6-6 | 225 | Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| RB | BO JACKSON | ★★★★ | #77 NATL | #4 RB | 6-0 | 205 | Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| DE | ZION GRADY | ★★★★ | #80 NATL | #7 Edge | 6-4 | 235 | Enterprise (Enterprise, Alabama) |
| DE | LONDON MERRITT | ★★★★ | #121 NATL | #15 DL | 6-2 | 250 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| TE | NATE ROBERTS | ★★★★ | #148 NATL | #7 TE | 6-4 | 235 | Washington (Washington, Oklahoma) |
| DT | MAXWELL ROY | ★★★★ | #229 NATL | #27 DL | 6-3 | 270 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| WR | DE'ZIE JONES | ★★★★ | #293 NATL | #40 WR | 6-0 | 180 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| S | DESHAWN STEWART | ★★★★ | #295 NATL | #25 S | 6-2 | 185 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| DT | TRAJEN ODOM | ★★★★ | #298 NATL | #34 DL | 6-4 | 285 | Weddington (Matthews, North Carolina) |
| TE | BRODY LENNON | ★★★★ | #354 NATL | #18 TE | 6-4 | 220 | Gates Mills (Gates Mills, OH) |
| S | CODY HADDAD | ★★★★ | #384 NATL | #21 ATH | 6-1 | 175 | St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★★ | #387 NATL | #39 LB | 6-3 | 230 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| DT | JARQUEZ CARTER | ★★★★ | #395 NATL | #42 DL | 6-2 | 284 | Newberry (Newberry, Florida) |
| RB | ISAIAH WEST | ★★★ | #551 NATL | #45 RB | 5-11 | 208 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| WR | BODPEGN MILLER | ★★★ | #596 NATL | #94 WR | 6-4 | 180 | Ontario (Mansfield, OH) |
| OL | JAKE COOK | ★★★ | #641 NATL | #40 IOL | 6-5 | 295 | Westerville North (Westerville, OH) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Carter brings strong presence to OSU's interior defensive line
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Carter is considered the No. 395 overall prospect and the No. 42 defensive lineman in the 2025 class.
At 6-foot-2 and 284 pounds, defensive tackle is likely where Carter will play at the collegiate level.
“I see myself moving around the whole line, kind of like an Aaron Donald type,” Carter said. “I’d say my get-off and how I use my hands (makes me dominant on the field).”
Last season, Carter recorded 67 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, nine sacks and 15 quarterback hurries while leading Newberry High School (Newberry, Florida) to a 9-3 record. As a sophomore, Carter totaled 78 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, eight quarterback hits, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.
“I’d say I’m a pass-rush first type of guy,” Carter said in November. “I get off the ball really fast and use violent hands. I’m not going to stop until the play is over with.”
When Carter arrives at OSU, he'll likely need a season or two to adjust to the collegiate game before becoming a consistent figure in Johnson's defensive line rotation. But he has the tools to become a future key contributor on the Buckeyes' defense.
