Maryland Football: Qwuantrezz Knight could be a hidden gem

The state of Florida has been very kind to Maryland during the short tenure of D.J. Durkin.

Despite several high profile names coming out of the Sunshine State, Qwuantrezz Knight may be the biggest get of all.

Knight is part of Durkin’s first recruiting class at Maryland. Some players committed to the program when Randy Edsall was still on the sidelines, but many of those ended up seeking different opportunities.

Knight was a three-star recruit out of East Gadsden (Fla.), which is located in the suburbs of Tallahassee. He was rated as the No. 142 safety and the 281st best player in the state of Florida.

Knight originally committed to Eastern Michigan, but flipped to Maryland after an official visit just days before National Signing Day.

As a junior, Knight registered 38 tackles, three interceptions, and 12 pass breakups. He’s a fundamentally sound football player that has the ability to fly all over the field.

If you watch film of Knight, the first thing that jumps off the page is his speed.

This is a player that really knows how to read where the ball is going to end up. More often than not, Knight reads the quarterback’s eyes perfectly and uses his closing speed to break up the pass.

In addition to quarterback, Knight also played wide receiver during his time at East Gadsden, so he certainly has great hands. He possesses the ability to track down a ball in traffic, which will come in handy as a safety at the collegiate level.

Knight also plays the run pretty well. He makes great reads and has a relentless motor, which allows him to chase down most ball carriers.

The three-time all-county star is also a superb tackler that has the ability to lay the big hit.

Maryland is stronger at cornerback than originally thought with the addition of J.C. Jackson. Will Likely and Jackson should form a very formidable starting duo with Alvin Hill and Darnell Savage Jr. also seeing significant time.

However, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty at safety.

It appears that Denzel Conyers and Josh Woods will be the starters unless someone has an impressive training camp. With an excess of cornerbacks, the coaching staff could shift a few of those to play safety as well.

Knight could see some playing time if he has a strong showing in training camp. At the very least, the Florida native will likely spend time on special teams as part of the coverage team.

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Knight may not have been highly rated coming out of high school, but he has the tools to produce at the collegiate level if given the opportunity.