2020 Mallard Creek (NC) DE Quentin Williams committed to Miami yesterday afternoon.



The 6-3 235 pounder is currently a consensus 3-star recruit in the national rankings. According to the 247Sports Composite, Williams is the #662 player nationally, #24 WDE in the country, and the #18 player in North Carolina. His commitment keeps Category20 at the #8 class ranking on 247Sports and #4 on Rivals.


The Player

Williams grew up in a family of Hurricanes fans all the way in the state of North Carolina, so it was a big deal when he landed his UM offer from Manny Diaz in January. After an unofficial visit in April, the mutual interest between both parties really started to heat up. The Canes made his top 5 in May and it seemed Williams would be destined for Miami if he got the green light to commit. That came this week and Williams jumped at the opportunity to become a Hurricane. Williams is the first player Miami has pulled from the Tar Heel State since Braxton Berrios in 2014. He chose UM over West Virginia, UNC, Louisville, and Virginia Tech.

At the Opening Charlotte Regional in April, Williams put on a show in the combine testing, recording a 111.03 SPARQ score, a 4.80 40-yard dash, a 4.41 shuttle time, a 43 ft powerball, and a 33.4 inch vertical. This puts him in elite territory in terms of athleticism among defensive ends in his class.

That explosion comes through on film, with Williams’ burst and quickness around the edge seemingly deadly for offensive tackles. Mixes a great first step with very good power. Maintains top gear and doesn’t slow down when making the turn off the edge, and uses exceptional bend to dip under blockers. Can be trusted to contain the edge, as his backside pursuit is high quality. Has the ability to drop and cover or attack the passer. Demonstrates he can rush effectively both standing up or with his hand in the dirt. Impressive in his ability to work his hands and fight off blocks, where he can use his length to create space. Long arms that can cause disruption in passing lanes. Attacks the ball and is always looking to rip and create fumbles. Developing his body even further and perfecting his technique will go a long way because Williams has all the tools to become a monster.


The Class

Williams’ commitment brings the total class numbers to 19 and he joins McDougle Technical Institute (FL) 4-star Samuel Anaele as the second true DE take in the class. Columbus (FL) 3-star Elijah Roberts is swingman that could end up at DT down the line, but Miami will start him out as a DE and move him inside for special packages. This is not going to slow down UM’s efforts in pursuing another DE in the class, as UM would prefer three true DE’s to pair with the versatility of Roberts to play outside or inside.

The board here was radically shaken up 2 weeks ago when Booker T. Washington (FL) 4-star DE Donell Harris reclassified from 2021 to the 2020 class. If Miami continues to pursue Harris, he would easily be the top target at DE in 2020 from here on out, and it seems they intend to do just that as Harris was invited to and showed up for Paradise Camp this weekend. As I said when he first decommitted, Alabama, Clemson, and UGA are the schools that have more traction here while Miami is running behind.

Previously, Miami had been treating Berkeley Prep (FL) 4-star Jaylen Harrell as a priority at DE, however, Harrell did not make his scheduled visit for Paradise camp. Harrell seems very open right now and doesn’t look to be close to ending his recruitment any time soon.

A third target the Canes are still hot on would be Dublin (GA) 3-star Romello Height. Originally being recruited as a linebacker, Miami has started to see the 6-5 215 pound Height as a rush end/viper type that could also drop back into coverage on occasion. Height took an official visit to Miami 2 weeks back and UM felt they made a move with him. He’s also already taken an official visit to Kentucky. Height doesn’t rule out a September decision on his father’s birthday.


The Team

The Canes lose seniors Trevon Hill and Scott Patchan following the 2019 season, while junior Jon Garvin could potentially leave early to head to the NFL. All three are expected to contribute heavily in the defensive line rotation this season, so Williams and his fellow classmates will have plenty of open playing time to absorb if they can prove they’re ready. However, the Canes have really been stacking some serious young talent at end, including guys such as Gregory Rousseau and Jahfari Harvey who have been making big waves in practice, as well as 5-star transfer Jaelan Phillips. The competition for reps should be a good one in 2020.

Williams already has a pretty good build for a senior in high school, so a year from now he should be physically able to contribute at Miami if needed. A guy with his measurables could really excel in Manny Diaz’s system and he should be challenging to start by his sophomore season.