100 Days of Florida Football: No. 1 Quinton Dunbar

Wide receiver Quinton Dunbar has had a solid career so far for the Florida Gators. He’s been the second-leading receiver on the team for two years straight seasons. He’s set records. Dunbar’s 28 straight games with a reception broke a 42-year old record set when Carlos Alvaraez caught a pass in 25 in a row. But this year, all the pieces are in place for a phenomenal season to cap off a nice career.

Booker T. Washington High School in Miami has been a football powerhouse and a stronghold of talent for the University of Miami. Dunbar was no exception. In his junior season for the Tornadoes, Dunbar earned All-Dade First Team wide receiver and FSWA 4A All-State Honorable mention honors. His season consisted for 39 catches for 703 yards and seven touchdowns. Dunbar followed that up with a senior season in which he racked up over 500 receiving yards.

Dunbar became the first player from Booker T. Washington to sign with the University of Florida. He’s since opened up the window for more players to come from the school, including freshman QB Treon Harris. He chose Florida over Miami, Michigan, Tennessee, Purdue, Rutgers, and UCF. 247 sports composite ratings had him as a four-star prospect, ranked as the 30th WR, 38th player in Florida, and 266th overall of the 2010 recruiting class.

After playing wide receiver in the Gators first game of his freshman year, Dunbar played on special teams against LSU and then earned a redshirt. He started to find his stride in the next year, catching 14 passes for 216 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career against Furman and FSU. He played in 12 games, starting in five, including his first career start in the season opener against FAU. His two catches for 54 yards and a TD against Furman started his current streak of a reception in 28 consecutive games.

Dunbar continued to build on his success with an even better redshirt sophomore season. He played in all 13 games, including 8 starts and caught a pass in every single game. He was second on the team with 36 receptions for 383 yards and four touchdowns. Dunbar’s best season came last year. He started all 12 games and ranked second on the Gators once again with 40 catches for 548 yards, but somehow no touchdowns. He kept the catch streak alive with a reception in all the games and had the best game of his career in his homecoming at Miami. Dunbar was named a captain for that game and notched a career high in both receptions (7) and yards (98). Over his three-plus year career, Dunbar has nabbed 90 receptions for 548 yards and six touchdowns.

This season could prove the be the best yet for Dunbar. His 6-1, 189 pound frame that excels after the catch is nearly tailor-made for Kurt Roper‘s offense. Florida hasn’t had a 1,000 yard receiver since 2002 when Taylor Jacobs hit the mark. The Gators also haven’t had a player lead the SEC in receptions since Chad Jackson did it with 88 catches in 2005. Dunbar has a chance this season to set a record that may never be broken by extending his catch streak into the 40s. He also could be the first Gator in 12 years to hit the 1,000 yard mark. Everything’s looking up for Dunbar as he prepares to extend the streak and start his final season in the Orange and Blue in just one day.

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