St. Thomas redshirt freshman wide receiver Quentin Cobb-Butler has excelled in the Tommies’ first four games of the season, leading the team with 16 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns.

Clearly, Cobb-Butler is making the most of his opportunity, but his on-field production tells only part of the story.

St. Thomas sophomore receiver Quentin Cobb-Butler (University of St. Thomas)

The 5-foot-7, 165-pound sophomore, a former standout for the Woodbury Royals, sustained a fracture in his back last year, the cumulative effect of a number of hits, and was sidelined after four games. He was able to avoid surgery, but forced to shut down all activity for 10 weeks.

“I could have felt, ‘Why me?’” he said. “But there is always a reason for it.”

Once healthy, Cobb-Butler was determined to make an impact on the field, and the Tommies needed someone to step up at wide receiver after losing both of last year’s starters, Jacob Wildermuth to graduation and Colin Chase to the transfer portal (Temple).

“I put in a lot of work this summer and felt I was able to elevate my game,” Cobb-Butler said. “I felt like I was able to separate myself from the competition.”

Cobb-Butler was recruited as an all-purpose offensive player — the role he had in high school — but he has emerged as a legitimate starting wide receiver.

“He’s such a dynamic playmaker,” head coach Glenn Caruso said. “He uses ever faculty he has. He knows how to use his speed, he has great hands. Yes, he’s talented, but what makes him a go-to guy for us is all the things he does in working on his craft that don’t measure up in the measurable categories.”

Cobb-Butler does not possess the ideal size for a wide receiver, but it clearly hasn’t prevented him from being productive.

“Being smaller, I have to do everything right,” Cobb-Butler said. “Guys are going to be more aggressive because I’m smaller, so I have to get to every spot on time. And I feel I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder being smaller. When I’m on the field, I’m the smallest guy on either roster, so I have to be a little bit gritty — have more heart than height.”

Basketball was Cobb-Butler’s favorite sport early on. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Jordan Taylor, who starred as a point guard at Benilde-St. Margaret’s and the University of Wisconsin. His focused shifted to football when he made the Woodbury varsity team as a defensive back as a sophomore.

Cobb-Butler added offense to his duties his senior year, returning kicks, rushing the ball and catching passes. He was on the Tommies’ radar at that point, with defensive coordinator Wallie Kuchinski serving as the main recruiter for the Twin Cities.

“Two years ago, Coach K came up to me on a game day and said that Quentin went off for 200 all-purpose yards (the night before),” Caruso said. “So, I said we’ll keep an eye on him. The next game, he went off for 310. So I said, ‘OK, let’s get him on campus, let’s wrap this thing up.’ ”

Soon after that visit, Cobb-Butler knew St. Thomas was the place for him.

“The coaching staff was amazing; the players, too,” he said. “Everyone is so close. At one of the games, Jacob Wildermuth gave me a hug before the game. That’s when I knew I wanted to be here.”

Cobb-Butler and the Tommies (2-2 overall, 0-1 in the Pioneer Football League) will be looking to rebound Saturday at home against Butler (3-2, 1-0) after a disappointing loss at San Diego last weekend to open league play. The Tommies had a 24-10 lead in the third quarter but lost, 30-27.

“I was not happy with our consistency,” Caruso said. “We played well at times, but we have to understand that football is the ultimate team sport. So, I would rather have 11 guys on the same page, even if it’s not the perfect page.”

Briefly

The Tommies, who were without starting tight ends Pat Wagner and Mariano Birdno last week, will have Wagner back on Saturday.

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