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Hunter |
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
A chance to play close to home and some prodding from a new friend was all it took for Quintin Hunter to choose Virginia.
The Orange High School standout junior quarterback orally committed to the Cavaliers yesterday, selecting them over Virginia Tech, Maryland, West Virginia and Stanford, which also came through with full scholarship offers.
Hunter is the second Fredericksburg-area player in the Class of 2009 to commit to the Cavaliers, joining Chancellor star running back Dominique Wallace, who pledged to Virginia last month.
Wallace did his best to bring Hunter to the Cavaliers, too.
"I've been talking to him for a while," Wallace said. "I've been trying to get him to go [to Virginia] since I committed. I've been talking to a lot of people."
Hunter is the Cavaliers' fourth commitment overall and third from Virginia after they welcomed just one top player from the state in the Class of 2008.
Hunter is listed as an "athlete," meaning he could play multiple positions in college. He's rated a four-star prospect by recruiting Web site rivals.com.
His mother, Sheila Hunter, said Virginia is "a wise decision."
She said the close proximity to home will allow her and his father to attend games without changing their work schedule.
"I'm very happy for him--very happy," Sheila Hunter said. "It was very hard for him. He liked [Virginia and Virginia Tech]. But he made the decision based on us. We work so much, he wanted to make sure we could get there to see him play. I think he made a good choice on his behalf and our behalf."
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Hunter was a Free Lance-Star All-Area selection at quarterback this past season. He threw for 2,065 yards and 18 touchdowns while running for 846 yards and 12 scores. He was also an all-Group AA defensive back.
"All these colleges recruited him as an athlete, but they've started talking the language of quarterback to him," said Orange offensive coordinator Jesse Lohr, who handles the bulk of the recruiting at the school. "I think Virginia is going to give him every opportunity to pursue that, and if it doesn't work out, he'll move to wide receiver. He's an offensive guy."
Hunter played wide receiver for Orange for two years before former star quarterback Bradley Starks graduated and headed to West Virginia.
The Mountaineers, among others, wanted Hunter as well, but it may have been hard to resist Wallace's persuasion.
"I was just trying to be his friend," Wallace said. "I just let him know that if he came to Virginia, he'd already have friends."
Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com
