Newberry’s Jarquez Carter, Mykah Newton and Logan McCloud talked about the upcoming season at the 2024 North Central Florida High School Football Media Day on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the trio committed to Division-I schools.

Carter, who held over 30 college offers, committed to Ohio State University, while Newton gave his pledge to N.C. State and McCloud announced his decision to attend Wofford.

“It’s a big day for the school, the community, obviously these boys and their family,” said Newberry football coach Ed Johnson. “You see the hard work that they’ve been putting in so we’re excited.”

The three will be a part of a championship-style defense this upcoming season.

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Johnson said. “That’s how you win state championships is with a really, really good defense. We’ve got those three guys leading the charge. We like where we’re at right now but you’ve got to win games in the fall to make that happen.”

Carter, a 6’2, 280-pound defensive tackle, is the No. 61 overall player in Florida according to 247Sports.

He said he knew Ohio State was where he wanted to go when he took an official visit in June.

“I chose Ohio State because of stability,” said Carter, who received an offer from the Buckeyes in November. “I chose them because of Larry Johnson (OSU’s Associate Head Coach / Defensive Line Coach). He’s a great man of God, a great person. You see what he’s been doing, who he puts in the NFL, like Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Chase Young, they’re not just average defensive linemen. It’s people that are great, people who might be Hall of Famers and I want to be a part of that.”

The rising senior chose the Buckeyes over Miami, Florida, Florida State, UCF and Penn State.

“Generational,” Johnson said. “One-on-one, man, he is so disruptive up front. He’s explosive. He uses his hands well. He demands double and even triple teams on a nightly basis.”

He could have stayed home by choosing the Orange and Blue but didn’t feel comfortable picking UF.

“I love Florida and all, but it just doesn’t fit my style of play,” Carter said. “I don’t see myself at Florida. It’s no disrespect to no coaches that recruited me. I respect every single coach but at the end of the day it’s how I feel and where I feel I fit at.”

As a junior, the defensive tackle recorded 67 total tackles, including a team-leading 37 tackles for a loss, and nine sacks.

Newton (6’3, 260), a 3-star edge rusher, chose the Wolfpack over Michigan State and UCF.

“NC State had a very loving way toward me, recruiting wise,” he said. “Ever since Coach Wiles (NC State defensive line coach Charley Wiles) came and recruited me, from the first time he came to the school, it was very amazing. I love the energy, I love how I fit in their scheme, the whole area, the fans, the players…I loved it and I didn’t have any second thoughts about it.”

He made the decision after an official visit to Raleigh, North Carolina, June 7-9.

“Recruiting is a lot more hectic than you think it is,” Newton said. “You also have to deal with a lot of emotions. It’s a very heavy weight lifted off of me and I appreciate that.”

Last season, Newton finished with 62 total tackles, 26 tackles for a loss, and he led the Panthers with 13 sacks.

“Mykah is long, disruptive, a get-off guy” Johnson said. “He plays with a lot of energy. He knows the game and he knows his job and he does his assignment.”

McCloud (6’1, 220) is a versatile player who plays linebacker and tight end.

“Logan’s a phenomenal athlete,” Johnson said. “To be his size, his weight, the way he moves. He’s probably got the best hands on the team when it comes to catching the ball, and he can do everything. He can rush the passer, he can fill gaps at linebacker, and we can send him on a corner route to catch a touchdown. He’s a very big part of what we’ve been doing.”

As a junior, he tallied 73 total tackles, 21 tackles for a loss, six sacks, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.

He singled out Co-Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Andrew Warwick and head coach Shawn Watson as reasons for his decision to play for the Terriers, who are members of the Southern Conference in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“They’ve just been there with me since they offered me, nonstop,” he said. “They never stopped calling no matter what. It’s really kind of crazy because just last week I didn’t even know where I was going, at all. My dad and I sat down and we talked to each other and the coaches and I went and visited Wofford on Tuesday, and I just felt like home…it’s genuine and it’s a brotherhood.”

McCloud, who will play the same positions at Wofford, has high expectations for NHS with three D-I signees on the defensive side of the ball.

“State championship run,” he said. “That’s all that’s on our mind really right now, state championship.”

He noted their work ethic as a group is what makes them a special group.

“You won’t see one person on our starting defense that won’t be after practice, before practice, even before workouts, we’ll be up here,” McCloud said. “Workouts start at 6 o’clock. We’ll be up here from 1 all the way to 6 just working out by ourselves because we want it and we know what it takes.”

Newberry, which will compete in 2A-District 5 this season with Bradford (Starke), Keystone Heights, Palatka, and Santa Fe (Alachua), opens the regular season on Friday, Aug. 23, at home vs. University Christian (Jacksonville).