One of Florida Gators Top Targets Set to Announce Decision

Four-star defensive lineman Jarquez Carter (Newberry, Fla.), one of the Florida Gators’ top defensive targets, is set to come off the board on Thursday.

Carter will announce his decision among finalists of Florida, Miami, UCF, Penn State, Ohio State and FSU. Gators Illustrated had one final conversation with Carter ahead of his announcement.

“The process has been good. I kinda wanted to commit towards the end of the season, but coming up, it’s been getting stressful and getting aggravating. I already knew which school I wanted to go to for the past two months,” Carter said during the North Central Florida High School Media Day in Gainesville. “So, I think it’s about time I make a decision.”

As for the five finalists, Carter explained he sees stability within each program and even mentioned Gators’ head coach Billy Napier, who is entering a crucial third season leading the program.

“I feel like all these schools have stability. Even Billy Napier. I feel like he was falling into a bad situation, but he’s actually a great coach,” Carter said.

Carter previously visited Florida early in the summer and left saying Florida’s chances were really good.

“When it comes to recruiting, I think the Gators and the SEC are probably the best recruiting,” he said. “You can’t beat the SEC when it comes to recruitment. The Gators, they pushed this weekend.”

However, it seems the tide has turned. As it stands, Ohio State looks to be the front runner for the local recruit. Multiple crystal balls from 247 Sports and On3 on Tuesday and Wednesday favored the Buckeyes over the other finalists.

Despite a commitment, Carter will still visit other programs throughout the fall and hear them out, but it’s likely that the school he chooses Thursday will be the program he signs with in December, he explained.

As it stands, Florida is in the midst of a critical month of July with plenty of targets either having already announced their commitments or about to in the coming weeks. Five-star receiver Vernell Brown III will announce on Sunday, and four-star safety Lagonza Hayward will announce July 27.

The Gators have currently received one commitment throughout the month; four-star linebacker Myles Johnson.

Florida’s 2025 recruiting class ranks No. 67 in the country by 247 Sports.

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