feature photo credit – Josh Aubrey, Statesboro Herald
Coffee’s Jyarius Carter is off to a great senior year, and just last week, the senior made one of the best plays in the state of Georgia. Dropping back into zone coverage, Carter adeptly read the QB’s eyes, jumping up to make a one-handed interception where he fully extended toward the sky.
For the 2024 season, there haven’t been many interceptions more impressive than Carter’s last Friday against Gadsen Florida. It was one of the best of the 2024 season and earned a spot in the top 10 plays of the week. Carter was ultimately voted the #2 play of the week with over 1000 votes in just 24 hours.
The season has been great for Carter and Coffee, who is undefeated and currently ranked the #5 team in the 5A rankings.
“My senior year has been going great. Right now, I have 18 tackles, 1 interception, 1 pass deflection, and 1 touchdown,” Carter said.
With several key contributors graduating from the 2023 state title team, Coffee hoped rising seniors like Carter would lead their vaunted defense. So far that has been the case; Carter is flying to the football, making impactful tackles like always, but feels he is more in tune with the pace.
“This year it feels like the game has slowed down a lot for me also being able to pick out small details from the offensive line that could give me an advantage,” he said.
Playing for a state contender, and having an undefeated record has created some recruiting buzz for Carter. He talked about his recent offers and if any visits are planned yet.
“Right now, I have offers from Furman, Howard, and Clark-Atlanta. As of right now, I don’t have any visits planned.”
His weekends should become more busy, especially if he continues his excellent start to the year. Carter is more than just a highlight reel. He is a physical tackler in space, comes off the edge with ferocity, and is an impactful hitter.
The 6’1″ 220 lbs. linebacker has a reported 39″ vertical jump and has a max power clean of 330 lbs. Perhaps most notable, is the 3.5 GPA, which explains why strong academic programs are interested in Carter’s services.
With the regular season almost halfway through, Carter listed goals he would like to achieve by the end of the year.
“My goals for this season are to win the state championship and to be 1st team All-Region and All-State,” he said.
5A is a tough classification, with some experts suggesting it is more competitive than 6A, so Coffee will have their work cut out repeating as state champions. Reclassification has created matchups that will be must-see during the GHSA playoffs, and you want to watch Coffee closely.
Carter’s toughness is a microcosm of the personality at Coffee, and when it gets late in the season, we feel like the Trojans will just be mentally tougher than programs with significantly more star power. So be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter/X to hear the latest on the senior, how Coffee finishes the 2024 season, and everything else involving GHSA football.
