NIL Opportunities

2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year

Two-Time All-American (2022, 2023)

Three-Time All-Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2023)

2024 NFL Draft - 2nd Round (Washington)

2023 Junior

• Team captain
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
• Fourth Illini in history to earn the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award and first in 29 years
• Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year
• AP Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year
• Nagurski Trophy finalist, as one of the top five defenders in college football
• Only defensive tackle on the Nagurski finalist list
• Bednarik Award semifinalist, as one of the top 20 defenders in college football
• Outland Trophy semifinalist, as one of the top seven interior linemen (offense/defense) in college football
• Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist, as one of the top nine defenders in the nation making an impact both on and off the field
• Lombardi Award semifinalist, as one of the top 12 linemen (offense/defense) in college football
• Projected first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
• Consensus All-American, the 22nd in Illinois history
• AP All-American First Team
• AFCA All-American First Team
• FWAA All-American First Team
• CBS All-American First Team
• The Athletic All-American First Team
• Sports Illustrated All-American First Team
• PFF All-American First Team
• USA TODAY All-American First Team
• Phil Steele All-American First Team
• Senior Bowl All-American First Team
• Walter Camp All-American Second Team
• All-Big Ten First Team (coaches and media)
• 52 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, nine quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four blocked kick on the season
• 188 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, and 18.0 sacks during his four-year Illinois career
• 18.0 career sacks tied College Football Hall of Famer Moe Gardner for the most sacks by an Illinois defensive tackle in program history
• Tied for the national lead in QB pressures among interior defenders during the regular season with 44, according to PFF
• 44 pressures led all Big Ten defensive tackles by 15 during the regular season
• Over the last two seasons, 103 quarterback pressures, by far the most in the nation among defensive tackles
• Third in the nation in sacks (7.5) among defensive tackles during the regular season and first in Power-5
• Led Big Ten defensive tackles in sacks with 7.5, which ranked second overall in the conference
• Fifth in the nation in run stops (25) among defensive tackles during the regular season, according to PFF
• Seventh in the nation in tackles (52) among defensive tackles during the regular season and third in Power-5
• One of the most durable interior defenders in the nation, led all defensive tackles in the nation with 749 snaps (62.4 per game)
• Played 73 more snaps than any other Power-5 defensive tackle and 124 more than any other Big Ten interior defender during the regular season
• Led the nation with and Illinois-record four blocked kicks during the regular season
• All four blocked kicks came in Big Ten games, a field-goal attempt vs. Penn State (9/16/23), an extra point at Purdue (9/30/23), an extra point vs. Indiana (11/11/23), and a field goal at Iowa (11/18/23)
• Two biggest games have come against two of Illinois’ best opponents. He had seven pressures against Wisconsin, the fourth-most by any defensive tackle in the nation this season, and six pressures against #7 Penn State in Illinois’ Big Ten opener. Newton was the highest-rated Power-5 defensive tackle in the nation during Week 3 vs. Penn State and Week 8 vs. Wisconsin (minimum 30 snaps), according to PFF
• Highest-rated player in the nation (all positions) during Week 8 vs. Wisconsin, according to PFF, and his 94.3 PFF grade was the best single game by any Big Ten defender since 2019
• Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week and East-West Shrine Bowl Breakout Defensive Player of the Week against Wisconsin
• Highest-rated Power-5 DT in the nation during Week 3 vs. #7 Penn State (min. 30 snaps), according to PFF
• AP Midseason All-America First Team
• The Athletic All-America First Team
• PFF Midseason All-American
• ESPN Midseason All-American honorable mention
• AP Preseason All-American First Team
• ESPN Preseason All-America First Team
• The Athletic Preseason All-America First Team
• Athlon Preseason All-America First Team
• CBS Sports/247Sports Preseason All-American First Team
• Phil Steele Preseason All-America Second Team
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten First Team
• PFF Preseason All-Big Ten First Team
• No. 8 ranked player in the nation in PFF's preseason player rankings
• No. 1 defensive tackle in the nation and No. 2 defender, according to PFF's preseason rankings
• No. 1 defensive tackle in the nation, according to The Athletic's preseason draft rankings
• No. 11 ranked player in the Big Ten, according to 247's preseason player rankings
• No. 10 NFL Draft prospect, according to PFF's preseason NFL Draft Big Board
• Walter Camp Player of Year watch list 

2022 Sophomore

• Walter Camp All-American Second Team
• AP All-American Second Team
• CBS All-American Second Team
• PFF All-American Second Team
• Phil Steele All-American Third Team
• Bednarik Award semifinalist, as one of the top 20 defensive players in college football
• All-Big Ten First Team (coaches and media)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Led the nation's No. 1 scoring defense in TFLs (14.0), sacks (5.5), quarterback hurries (11), and fumble recoveries (2)
• Tied for the national lead in quarterback hits (19), according to PFF
• Led Power-5 interior defensive linemen in pressures (59), seven more than any Power-5 interior defensive lineman, and ranked seventh overall in the nation, according to PFF
• Only Big Ten defensive linemen to play 400+ snaps
• No. 26 player in the nation in 2022 according to PFF's College 101
• No. 9 graded defender in the nation and No. 4 in Power-5 (91.5), according to PFF
• No. 4 defensive grade among Power-5 interior defensive linemen and No. 1 in the Big Ten, according to PFF
• No. 2 run defense grade among Power-5 interior defensive linemen and No. 1 in the Big Ten, according to PFF
• No. 5 pass rush grade among Power-5 interior defensive linemen and No. 1 in the Big Ten, according to PFF
• Started all 13 games at defensive tackle
• 62 tackles, 14.0 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, three pass breakups, 11 quarterback hurries, and two fumble recoveries on the season
• Led Illinois in TFLs (14.0), sacks (5.5), quarterback hurries (11), and fumble recoveries (2)
• Third on the team in tackles (62)
• Ninth in the Big Ten in sacks per game (0.42)
• Career-high eight tackles against Chattanooga 9/22/22 and Michigan State 11/5/22
• Career-high 3.0 TFLs against Michigan State 11/5/22
• Fumble recoveries at Nebraska 10/29/22 and at Michigan 11/19/22
• PFF Midseason All-American First Team
• The Athletic Midseason All-American Second Team
• Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List
• Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten Fourth Team 

2021 Redshirt Freshman

• Played in 12 games with 11 starts
• All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (media)
• Phil Steele All-Big Ten Fourth Team
• Academic All-Big Ten
• 50 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, and 3.0 sacks on the season
• Fourth-most snaps played among defensive linemen in the Big Ten (601)
• Tied for third on the team with 3.0 sacks
• Sixth on the team with 4.0 TFLs
• Seventh on the team with 50 tackles
• 50 tackles led the team among defensive linemen
• Six tackles and 1.0 TFL in Illinois' 9OT upset over No. 7 Penn State 10/23/21
• 1.0 sacks against Maryland 9/17/21
• Illinois team defensive MVP against Nebraska 8/28/21

2020 Freshman

• Played in all eight games and started two at defensive tackle 
• 23 tackles, 1.5 TFL one forced fumble on the season 
• First career forced fumble against Purdue 10/31/20 
• Highest rated true freshman defender (85.8) by PFF after his first career forced fumble and two tackles against Purdue 10/31/20 
• The 18th true freshman to start a game on the defensive line in Illinois history 
• Made Illinois debut at Wisconsin 10/23/20 

High School

• Three-star recruit by 247, ESPN, and Rivals
• National ranks: #821 (247), #1024 (247 Composite)
• Defensive tackle ranks: #42 (247), #56 (247 Composite)
• Defensive end ranks: #86 (ESPN)
• Florida ranks: #94 (247), #125 (ESPN), #134 (247 Composite)
• Played for head coach Chris Harvey at Clearwater Central Catholic
• 2019 MaxPreps All-American
• 244 tackles, 24.0 sacks, 45.0 TFLs, five forced fumbles in his high school career
• 104 tackles, 16.0 sacks, 29.5 TFLs, three forced fumbles as a senior
• Also played running back in high school
• Honor Roll
• Also played basketball in high school
• Offers included Boston College, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, Rutgers, Syracuse, UCF, USF, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia

 Personal

• Born Aug. 31, 2002
• Son of Jervon Newton and Jovita Rich
• Four brothers, Jervon, Jerquan, Jerjuan, Jershaun
• Brothers, Jervon and Jerquan, played football at West Florida
• Brother, Jerjuan, plays football at Toledo
• Cousin, Pro Wells, played football at TCU
• Plans to design and build cars following his playing career
• Majoring in general studies