The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 51 COMMITMENT PROFILE W hen Lakewood (Ohio) St. Ed- ward two-star wide receiver Quintel Kent committed to Michigan Aug. 4, quite a few people were sur- prised. The 6-0, 170-pounder had qui- etly popped up during a camp in Chi- cago and eventually climbed up U-M's recruiting board. The Ohio native explained exactly how he went from virtual unknown to Michigan commit in a matter of a couple of months. "I actually went to a camp up in Chi- cago called Chicagoland and Coach [Roy] Roundtree was there," Kent explained. "He's really the one who found me. He invited me up to their camp about a week later. "I went up there, and I must've killed it because they liked me. They invited me back up for an unofficial visit and that's when they offered me. After that, they invited me back up for the BBQ. I went up there with my family, and we really had a good time." Kent and his mother had such a good time that he decided to commit to the Wolverines less than a week after return- ing home. The first true wide receiver to pledge to Michigan in 2019, Kent couldn't be happier with his decision. "I loved the school when I went up there," he said. "I loved the atmo- sphere and the campus. I loved every- thing about it. The coaches were really friendly and seemed really down to earth. My mom loved the coaches as well, and they were all having a fun time together. They were laughing and telling jokes and stuff. It was really comfortable and homey for me." Kent figures to be a slot receiver for the Wolverines because of his build and skill set. St. Edward head coach Tom Lombardo sees that as a perfect fit for his star receiver. "I think they see a huge upside in him at that position," Lombardo said. "Coach [Ben] McDaniels and Coach [Jim] Harbaugh have been doing it for a long time, and they know it when they see it. "Coach McDaniels is from Canton- McKinley so he knows Ohio kids. They saw him in person and really liked him. Michigan has a knack for finding those kids from Ohio. It's been that way since Coach Schembechler was there. "On the speed side, he's 4.4-ish. He's got good hands, and he's always working on that. If he can get up to 185 pounds as a slot receiver he'll be really tough to handle." Kent just laughs off the Ohio kid go- ing to Michigan banter. "I get it a lot," Kent said through a huge smile. "'You're going to Michi- gan? Ohio State is going to beat you.' It's all fun and games. "It doesn't get into my head or any- thing. It's all jokes so it doesn't really bother me that much." As a junior, Kent was a member of the Division I All-Northeast Lakes Dis- trict second team after reeling in 40 catches for 625 yards and nine touch- downs. He and his St. Edward squad fell to Mentor 21-13 in the second round of the state playoffs last year and will try to exact some revenge on the Cardinals in the season opener this fall. — Brandon Brown Wide Receiver Quintel Kent Earns Offer At Camp And Commits To U-M FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Quintel Kent's strengths are his speed, suddenness and ability to get open because of them. He re- portedly runs in the 4.4 range in the 40-yard dash and routinely gets be- hind defenses on his highlight tape. He really seems to have a knack for making big plays, and his coaches expect to see a lot of that this fall. He also has excellent body control and solid hands. Areas Of Improvement: Kent might be 170 pounds heading into his senior season, so he'll definitely need to bulk up and get stronger in order to bang with big, strong cor- nerbacks. He also needs to work on his blocking, which will also improve with added strength. Kent himself mentioned wanting to become a better blocker, and that's obviously something that will go a long way with Jim Harbaugh. Michigan Player Comparison: Kent looks like a slightly lankier and noticeably faster version of Grant Perry. Both Kent and Perry are billed as solid route runners and as guys who will catch ever ything you throw their way. Perry was proba- bly a bit more polished coming out of high school, but Kent has Perry beat in the speed and athleticism departments. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com As a junior, Kent pulled in 40 passes for 625 yards and nine touchdowns at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM