National Signing Day: Poyen QB Carter inks NLI to enhance OBU football program
Ready to fulfill a lifelong dream is none other than the all-around phenomenal Poyen Indian senior Jaxson Carter, who signed a National Letter of Intent Wednesday to play football at Ouachita Baptist University and become a Tiger to showcase his talent in the Great American Conference on the collegiate gridiron.
Due to the impressive display and impact Carter has graced the gridiron of his talent, the community of Poyen has been a famous and wellknown area in the Natural State for high school football. “Friday Night Lights” was more than electric this past 2020 football season at Malvern National Bank Stadium—Indian Field because of the leadership and inspirational guideline of Grant county and Poyen’s ace quarterback.
During national signing day Wednesday, head coach Vick Barrett spoke on behalf of the entire Poyen football coaching staff and was more than excited for Carter to have this opportunity and play football at OBU. Barrett mentioned how hard Carter has worked to achieve this accomplishment and he plans to be traveling to Clark county to watch Carter perform on Saturdays at Cliff Harris Stadium, in Arkadelphia— Home of the Ouachita Baptist University Tigers.
Carter has always wanted to continue an athletic career on the gridiron and this dream and goal is an exciting feeling he’ll endure for a lifetime. Despite several college interests and offers, Carter feels OBU is the right fit and thrilled to represent the Poyen Indians community in this next chapter of his life.
Carter said, “I feel honored and extremely excited for the opportunity to be able to play at OBU. I’ve been playing football at Poyen since the fourth grade and have grown as a player and person with the help of our great coaches. I can’t wait to keep playing the game
I love at OBU.”
OBU football head coach Knight released a statement of all of the incoming signees that are joining the Tigers program and looks forward to coaching them and to continue success at Ouachita.
Knight said about the signees,”This whole year is really about adversity. These guys that are coming in this year have been through a ton. These guys have been up and down. There’s just a mental toughness about the group coming in after what they’ve been through.”
Knight also mentioned, “The other thing I like about the class, even if it wasn’t a COVID year, is that we’ve spread it out. We’ve got offensive linemen, defensive linemen, quarterbacks, defensive backs. We’ve run the whole gamut. And we didn’t just sell out with a normal class. We had to hold back a little bit, because we’re carrying six classes with current players carrying extra eligibility after not playing in the fall.”
Carter has earned All-State and All-Conference honors his junior and senior seasons at Poyen. He has accounted for more than 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 plus yards rushing throughout the career as the starting QB1 for the Indians. He ran and threw for numerous touchdowns and led the Indians in their best season ever for its program in 2020—to the Class 2A state quarterfinals for a 11-2 overall record. Poyen remained in the top five rankings in the state in Class 2A during Carter’s senior season in 2020.
Amongst these accolades, Carter earned the 5-2A Conference outstanding quarterback honors as well as a finalist for the Farm Bureau Awards 2A Offensive Player of the Year of Hooten’s Arkansas Football for 2020. Carter also graced the 10th annual cover issue of the 2020 football season—501 Football, which highlights a selective few of Arkansas’ most unique and talented senior football players to receive a little taste of what to expect going
into the upcoming season.
It is a special publication of 501life that celebrates football in Central Arkansas. Carter was featured and selected to be a part of the 10th 501 Football Team. Carter, along with other players were nominated by coaches due to being special players because of their character , willingness to help others and their outstanding sportsmanship.
Carter mentioned a goal in his feature article, was for the Indians to make the playoffs, and the Tribe go farther than ever before in 2020. Well, Carter and the rolling Tribe excelled in 2020 and allowed Poyen to be one of the overall top teams in the state for Class 2A. Barrett coached Carter all the way through junior high and up to his senior high season. Carter has been a part of conference title teams in junior high and Barrett has been overjoyed to have him finish out his career in the purple and gold colors that’s created a buzz in the state—for Poyen’s recognition.
Barrett has stated Carter is a leader and not afraid to push his teammates to get their very best. Barrett also added, Carter inspires others by his leadership as a quarterback and is just an overall good young man.
Carter has a history and background of football in his family. He now continues a tradition by stepping on to the college football platform and earning an education of higher learning at an institution that exemplifies a love of God and a love of learning by creating for students and other constituents dynamic growth opportunities both on campus and throughout the world.
The Ouachita Baptist University Sports Information Department announced their 2021 signing class includes an incoming freshman class of 27—which includes 17 players from Arkansas, seven from Texas, two from Louisiana and one from Tennessee.