The Miami Hurricanes have a storied history of linebackers with the likes of Ray Lewis, Dan Morgan, DJ Williams, Jonathan Vilma and Jon Beason to name just a few. Miami had a resurgence in 2017 it was built behind a strong defense and one of the key members of that defense is linebacker Shaquille Quarterman. Here we look at Quarterman’s traits and what his NFL Draft outlook as he enters his final season.
Shaquille Quarterman as a Run Defender
Miami LB Shaquille Quarterman showing the ability to fill a hole and give his team a shot to get a stop on 3rd and short #NFLDraft #TheU #Hurricanes pic.twitter.com/xRiLcsDOfV
— Brian Johannes (@Draft_Brian) June 18, 2018
Quarterman is at his best defending the run as he uses his explosion burst to come forward and be a physical tackler. Being able to read his keys quickly, Quarterman is quick to fill his holes or can run to the ball. Being able to take on blocks and then shed to make tackles allows Quarterman to be a force in the run game. And most importantly Quarterman is a strong tackler who can wrap up and drive the ball carrier to the ground, not to mention that he can stand up a runner in the hole stopping him in their tracks to prevent extra yardage.
Shaquille Quarterman in Coverage
Not an overly fluid athlete that does poise some concerns about Quarterman in coverage sticking with tight ends and running backs in and out of breaks. That being said Quarterman does flow well in coverage and has the burst and acceleration to try and jump routes or even run to an area out of zone coverage. Quarterman will likely never be known for being a great cover linebacker, but he’s not a liability and can stick on the field all game long.
Outlook and Projection
Quarterman has all the traits and production on the field to be an instant impact to whomever drafts him. Playing as a middle linebacker Quarterman can play in about any defense regardless of whether it is a 4-3 or a 3-4 because he’ll be used to come down and be a physical run defender. As stated before he won’t be a great coverage linebacker but because he can flow and has good burst he’ll be able to stay on the field on passing downs and could develop into a good blitzer. Look for Quarterman to be a starter very early in his career. He may not end up being the next great NFL linebacker from the U, but he still has a shot to be a quality starter for many years.
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