Kentucky has recruited the offensive line well during the Mark Stoops era and Cincinnati native Quintin Wilson is part of another strong group in the trenches.
He's up next in Cats Illustrated's Signing Day Profile series.
Bio in Brief
Offensive lineman Quintin Wilson
6'3, 290 pounds
Rating: Three-stars (5.7 Rivals Rating)
Other offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, UCONN, Minnesota, Rutgers, Virginia and others
Recruiting Overview
Wilson didn't say too much or tip his hand in the early part of the recruiting process, although it was known that Kentucky had offered and was one of the schools he was considering.
In hindsight, Kentucky probably shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Wilson has family in the Lexington area and he seems to have fallen in love with the school shortly after visiting for the first time. It wasn't the facilities or a slick sales pitch that won Wilson over. He was convinced by the sincerity of the coaching staff and how he bonded with the coaches and people around the program on a personal level.
Wilson was a frequent visitor after committing and attended multiple camp events at Kentucky over the summer, spending time with other commitments and players who would later pledge to the Wildcats.
He committed to Kentucky on mother's day as something of a present.
Scouting Report
Wilson was targeted by the Kentucky coaching staff because he's got a great, wide base and is capable of playing left guard, right guard or center. His size is more impressive when you consider that he's only starting to scratch the surface in terms of transforming his body into that of an SEC lineman. His trajectory is moving in the right direction because weight training was not a huge part of his high school career until his junior season. Since then, he's made significant strides in terms of his strength, and he's got more room for improvement there.
Wilson is an interior lineman all the way because of his size, but he fits that mold well. He's got a stout lower body, keeps a good stance, moves his feet and stays low.
Forecast for 2018 & Beyond
Kentucky could use some depth on the interior of the line with Nick Haynes no longer with the program and with Jervontius Stallings and George Asafo-Adjei inching up there in terms of their eligibility. It would be something of a minor surprise if Wilson cracks the rotation as a true freshman, considering the younger talent Kentucky has in the program (players redshirting now and in the past), but the looming roster clear out will open up opportunities for him.
Since Drake Jackson appears to have solidified the center position, and since two guards see the field at a time, Wilson might start out providing depth at center but with a more plausible path to playing time to Jackson's right or left.
Quotable
"Coach Clink played a major role. He has been there for me throughout this entire process and I have built a great relationship with him throughout the process. He is a great man. I want to continue to build a relationship with him."
- Wilson to Cats Illustrated after his commitment in May
