When Quinnen Mitchell is sprinting at full speed, if you stand 10 feet away from him, you can actually hear his speed. If you asked him a question while standing 10 feet away, you might not hear his answer.
A cornerback with world-class speed, Mitchell plays with power and power—almost the opposite of his personality. Mitchell, the No. 11 prospect on Dane Brugler’s updated 2024 NFL Draft Top 100 rankings, has a GPS speed of 23 mph, a 4.3 speed, and has been on target the past two years. Defended more passes (44) than any defensive back on the year. He also pays attention to his language in front of children, is polite to strangers, is loyal to his loved ones, and is well aware of everything around him.
He appeared on earth with material things. What about the rest? That comes from his two guardian angels.
Mitchell grew up in the small town of Williston, Florida, population less than 3,000 people, a half-hour south of Gainesville near the Nature Coast. He has five siblings, including three younger sisters. He calls his mother, Masana Solomon, his “rock.” He called his grandmother Marilyn Johnson his “best friend.”
Mashona gave birth to Quinyon when she was young. For the first nine years of his life, he lived at his grandmother’s house.
Come to think of it, she probably helped with some speed, too.
“He loved running. Sometimes, he and I would race. “He always won. “
Johnson gave Quinine three rules, the last of which was the Golden Rule: Honesty, respect, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. These are the tenets Mitchell lives by today. When he turned down a high school scholarship offer after high school to follow a mid-major coach who truly believed in him, he thought of his grandmother’s rules. Three years later, he thought the same thing when those schools tried to coax him into transferring with names, likenesses and likeness fees.
As a footballer, Mitchell was confident, consistent and at times a dominant weapon – a defender with enough speed, length and balance to take away his opponent’s top weapons in any situation. He also maintains the on-court awareness of an older player, quietly and quickly alternating between calm and nervous. It’s like turning on a light switch.
We are all products of our environment. Quinyon Mitchell is arguably the top defensive back class in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he comes from a unique place. Which makes sense, since he’s anything but normal.
continue reading.
go further
Quinyon Mitchell, the quiet star in the 2024 NFL Draft, was born for this moment
