It’s the type of homecoming that every High School Football player dreams of, and for former Oakleaf High School standout Shaquille Quarterman of the University of Miami that dream came true. Quarterman was selected in round four of the 2020 NFL draft by his hometown Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday. As the 140th selection, the Orange Park native was the first Miami Hurricanes player to be picked within this year’s draft. Quarterman’s potential was evident early on during his time as a high school athlete in northeast Florida.
At Oakleaf, Quarterman was highlighted as one of the top 10 inside linebacker recruits by several media outlets. Having formally committed to the University of Miami during his junior year, Quarterman continued dominating on the field his senior year with 101 tackles at linebacker and scoring three touchdowns at running back. Moreover, as a senior Quarterman was named the Duval Sports all area team. He ultimately finished his high school tenure with 412 tackles and six sacks.
As was expected Quarterman was a valuable asset to the Miami Hurricanes as a starting linebacker, All-American, and Pro Football Focus as a freshman. Within the next two years Quarterman remained consistent on the field with being named second team and first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) within this sophomore and junior years, respectively.
While eligible to enter the 2019 NFL Draft, Quarterman chose to remain a Miami Hurricane through his senior year. He eventually closed out his senior year with 107 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble. Similar to previous years, Quarterman was was again named first team All-ACC as a senior. Continuing in his line of accomplishments, the 6-foot, 241-pound linebacker is the first player to be drafted into the NFL from Oakleaf High School.
