Quan Lee's Film Provided Evidence of Why He's an Impact Recruit for UCF Football
For anyone that did not yet watch UCF wide receiver commitment Quan Lee play this season, that’s something that needs to be added to the to-do list via his Hudl highlights that anyone can watch for free. His skills will translate well once he arrives in Orlando and plays for the Knights.
Here’s an overview of Lee’s talents, with an emphasis towards his performance versus Forest High School, a local rival for Buchholz High School where Lee plays football.
Quan Lee
Vitals: 5’10”, 175 pounds
Position: Wide Receiver
High School: Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz
Graduation: Class of 2022
Recruitment: Committed to UCF.
Before specifically discussing Lee’s performance against Forest, there needs to be two categories discussed regarding what helped make him a great prospect overall.
Toughness
First, Lee played hurt during his senior season. Many players will sit out after making a verbal commitment, but Lee kept on playing. He wanted to prove, during each game, that he’s one of the best players in Florida and the country. Hats off to him for competing. That’s commendable.
Then, there’s the aspect of just how physically gifted this young man already proved to be, with this one particular category as a starting point for his overall talent level.
Change of Direction
Second, a defender needs to be careful of what appears to be in front of him. This particular target may not be there long. Lee often lures defenders in close before suddenly exploding in another direction and moving past that particular defender with relative ease. That's much like the following video, when he was lined up with arguably the nation's top prep prospect, Travis Hunter, an absolutely incredible talent. Watch Lee cut in front of Hunter and run. That's athleticism.
His ability to move laterally, in particular, provided him with the ability to be a top-notch punt returner, the true test of athletic talent for a skill position player.
Punt Returns
Punt returns represent a great opportunity to evaluate Lee or any other high school football player because of the ability to see a player that operated in space; there’s no place to hide while attempting to beat a bevy of defenders.
Either a player can truly move well side-to-side, as well as accelerate, or that player cannot. Against Forest, Lee once again proved his twitchy athleticism will translate well to the college level. It was really fun to watch.
Lee made multiple Forest defenders miss, and he did so with patience, something that’s not common with high school football players or even many college football players. Too often a high school player will charge in one direction before properly evaluating where he should run.
Lee does a really good job of making more calculated decisions when returning punts. His only drawback is sometimes trying too hard to break the long run. That’s a small adjustment for the college level that will be easily fixed. It’s more important that Lee already understood the nuances of evaluating where to run as a punt returner, and that will aid him during his time playing for the Knights. Then there was the surprise as to what Lee could do on the other side of the football.
Playing Cornerback
Probably the hardest skill on a football field would be playing cornerback. It’s not natural to guard someone while running backwards. However, that’s the definition of what a cornerback will do during any given play.
Lee’s ability to backpedal was on full display versus Forest. It’s very fluid, which is a great way to further evaluate his natural athletic skills much like being a punt returner. In addition, he turned and ran really well while being physical near the line of scrimmage.
Yes, Lee will play wide receiver for the Knights, but watching him move and stay with wide receivers while playing cornerback does further enhance what UCF fans should expect for him while playing for UCF. It takes a different type of natural athlete, as well as a different mindset, to play cornerback. Lee provided proof that he possessed both of those skill sets prior to leaving the high school ranks.
Playing Wide Receiver
Of course Lee did well at his primary position, wide receiver. Even during a play where the cornerback lined up inside of Lee, he still beat the cornerback to the inside while running a slant and caught a touchdown pass. That’s very difficult to do.
His best and arguably most surprising plays came from fade balls. Lee caught multiple passes during one-on-one situations in the endzone. It’s not an easy play, and it’s more about body position and timing than just physical skill. Lee did well, catching two touchdowns during these types of plays.
To see a variety of Lee’s highlights, click this link. You will not be disappointed.
Final Thoughts
Each time watching Lee there’s something else that can be learned about his skills. Most importantly, he just makes plays, no matter the position or situation. With a really unique all-around set of skills, Lee will be a player that comes to UCF and competes for playing time during his freshman season.
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