The hit was made, and also an impression.
Abdul Carter, meet Jaxson Dart.
“I definitely got a good shot at him,’’ Carter said Friday. “But he’s tough. He got right back up, kept playing throughout the whole game. So, I knew right there he was a good player.’’
The “good shot’’ went down Dec. 30, 2023, in Atlanta, site of the Peach Bowl, Dart’s Ole Miss facing Penn State and Carter.
Dart was sensational, passing for 379 yards and three touchdowns, plus he ran for another TD. He also took a licking, courtesy of Carter. Ole Miss won, 38-25.
Who could have envisioned that these two would end up together, as first-round picks for the Giants?
Carter, as expected, went No. 3 on Thursday night. Dart hung around on the board until the Giants traded up into the first round and selected him with the No. 25 overall pick.
It is telling that they both recall the on-field collision the same way. Carter, rushing from the middle — he was an inside linebacker back then stormed in and created a clear lane for himself. Dart faded back but was leveled by Carter with full chest-on-chest impact.
Dart tried to get the throw off and his arm did come forward as he lost the ball, which was recovered by the Nittany Lions. It was correctly ruled an incomplete pass.
“I remember he got after me early on in that game,’’ Dart said. “I remember game planning for him and just seeing his skill set was such an elite level. I actually told my family before this that I hope I get the chance to play with him, because I know how great of a player he is. I’ve seen what his teammates have said about him and how he’s able to set a culture for the team, and I see it the exact same way.’’
The almost strip sack of Dart is included in most Carter highlight reels.
“I’m a big fan of Jaxson,’’ Carter said. “He ended up winning that [Peach Bowl] game, but just seeing how accurate he was just dishing the ball out, I knew he was a good quarterback.
“He beat us, so if you beat Penn State in a big game like that, I know you’re the real deal, especially at quarterback.’’
Dart was asked what stood out about Carter from that one game.
“Geez, he doesn’t really have a weakness,’’ Dart said. “He can do it all. He’s so versatile. I played him when he was playing in the box at the linebacker position, and how he was able to disrupt the game from that.
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“I still remember a play we had on short yardage where he chased from the end of the line of scrimmage all the way back to the other side of the field and almost made a tackle on a running back for a loss and actually stopped him before he got to the first down. I remember live, you can’t really see it, but then when you watch it back on film, not many people on this earth can make a play like that.’’
Both first-round picks did the first-round pick circuit at the team facility, posing for pictures with general manager Joe Schoen, head coach Brian Daboll and co-owner John Mara. Both players had family with them to bask in the afterglow of the draft-night experience.
Their rookie seasons figure to follow different paths. Carter should be a Day 1 starter. The plan for Dart is to watch and learn, with Russell Wilson starting and Jameis Winston serving as the backup. How quickly Dart develops, how Wilson plays and how the Giants’ season unfolds will determine if, or when, Dart gets on the field in 2025.
Not starting will be a new experience for Dart.
“I feel like anytime I step on the football field I’m going to go out there and ball, regardless of who I’m playing against,’’ he said. “I have that confidence in myself, but at the same time, I understand coming to the next level there’s definitely going to be a development piece, and that goes for anybody, regardless of where you’re at in your career, if you’re taking it to the next level. That’s my plan is to attack each and every day and to prepare myself for whenever my time is to come.’’
Dart said after he received a call from the Giants, Eli Manning was one of the first to reach out to him.
Manning also sent a “Welcome to the Giants’’ video to Dart that the team shared on social media. Manning and his father, Archie, starred at quarterback at Ole Miss and have close ties with Dart, who plans to cultivate Eli as a resource.
“I think I would be kind of a fool not to,’’ Dart said. “I want to chase greatness just like he did. So, I think when you’re able to pick the brain of a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, you’d be a fool not to.’’
