Hello: Quintel Kent
Quintel Kent is sleeper #2, but unlike Cole Bajema he looks set to stay that way. Michigan offered after he impressed at camp, and that offer remains Kent's only one from a Power 5 school. He doesn't have imposing size and was reasonably productive for his high school team so the relevant people have seen him. Without something out of the ordinary happening this fall, Kent will be one of the lowest-rated recruits in Michigan's class.
That's not fate, of course, but usually you like to see some sort of indication that the ranking isn't everything. Especially at a position where Michigan struggled last year and is struggling this year.
GURU RATINGS
| Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
| 2*, 5.4 rating | NR | 3*, 84 rating #1105 overall, #130 WR |
N/A |
As mentioned, these rankings are extant and probably won't change too much. Rivals will give Kent a courtesy bump to a low three-star at some point.
[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and the rest.]
SCOUTING
There isn't much, as you'd expect. 24/7's Bill Greene has a detailed post that makes it clear he's seen the kid in person a few times and very much reads like an attempt to say what he thinks without saying what he thinks:
Kent catches everything thrown his way, and a teammate of his told me he does this every day in practice as well. He is a fine route runner, as we can see on film, and he has enough speed to play in the Big Ten. ... not going to be a kid that is physically ready to contribute as a true freshman ... I do think Kent is rated properly, but will be flexible enough to adjust it after seeing him play this year as a senior.
Greene's seen him and thinks he's a MAC recruit, more or less. Brandon Brown's impression off film:
...quite slight but he's sudden, quick and seems to have a knack for getting open. ... going to have to bulk up and add strength ... pretty well versed in winning at the line of scrimmage and seems to understand how to use his strengths to win against defensive backs.
From watching film of him, though, I don’t see whatever Michigan must see. There’s nothing about him that jumps off the screen. He has average size with average acceleration and average top-end speed for an FBS recruit. He’s not a nuanced route runner, and he doesn’t get great separation from defensive backs, some of whom don’t look stellar themselves.
Overall, I don’t think this does anything to push Michigan’s program forward. There are some walk-on guys who I can see being just as successful as I would project Kent to be. He may be able to be an effective slot receiver if he’s a decent blocker, because slot guys can be productive based on play calling and taking advantage of play action. I just don’t see a whole lot of upside from him at this point.
And that's more or less it as far as scouting goes. Kent provided a little more insight into his game:
"I can play either a wide receiver or a slot receiver, but I also return kicks and punts," he noted. "I think I have good speed, and I can play any of the wide receiver positions."
OFFERS
Kent had five MAC offers and a couple of I-AA offers before Michigan stepped in.
HIGH SCHOOL
St Ed's in Cleveland is a powerhouse that sends guys to major colleges on the regular. Kyle Kalis is the most recent to head to AA.
STATS
I didn't actually run across a full season number.
FAKE 40 TIME
Kent claims a 4.56 40, which gets four fakes out of five.
VIDEO
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
This is the kind of camp commit that seems to come from resignation. Michigan is credibly in on zero highly touted wide receivers and needs numbers at the position after taking just a flier last year, so they were likely to come from camp. It's nice that Michigan saw him in person twice, but for a camp offer to mean something good it needs to be made in a context where it's clear that Michigan is willing to take camp kid X despite having a fair or better shot at a big-timer.
And then there's nothing else to indicate the recruiting sites are wrong about a kid at a powerhouse they've scouted and didn't think was a P5 prospect. A useful, non-star slot guy seems to be the ceiling here.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Kent is the second slot-ish receiver Michigan's added along with George Johnson III, which makes this commitment a little bit odder yet—Michigan is not a school with a heavy demand for slots. I imagine they're still in the market for a bigger guy on the outside, or maybe two. Probably one, because the chance Michigan gets in on a touted player at this point is close to zero.
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