'It was a dogfight': How Wake Forest landed 2026 sleeper Quentin Coleman and his projected impact next season

It only took one time watching Quentin Coleman for Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes to be hooked.

Back in July at Nike EYBL Peach Jam, in the ice-cold gyms of the Riverview Park Activities in North Augusta (SC), Forbes made his way to Court 2 to watch Coleman, now a signee in the Demon Deacons’ 2026 class, play for the first time.

The 6-4 guard and Saint Louis native out of the Principia School (MO) and Bradley Beal Elite AAU program was on Wake Forest’s radar as a prospect, but they had yet to reach out directly. Forbes had to watch him in person first.

“I’m not from Missouri, I’m from Iowa, but Missouri is the show me state,” Forbes told The Field of 68. “And that’s how I recruit. Not with my ears, but my eyes.”

So on July 12, Forbes headed courtside to watch Coleman, who was playing against Team CP3, the defending Peach Jam champs and one of the best programs in the EYBL. Coleman stood out with 16 points, seven rebounds (five offensive) and two assists while his team fell in a close game, 72-69.

“The first time I saw him play, I wanted him,” Forbes said.

Coleman earned the Wake Forest scholarship offer the next morning, and for the rest of his time in Augusta, Forbes was front and center. He watched every game as Coleman averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists to help Bradley Beal Elite win the Peach Jam title.

Forbes knew he had to have Coleman and soon applied the full-court press.

But it wasn’t going to be easy.

Coleman’s Recruitment at a Glance

Before Peach Jam in July, Coleman had reported just nine Division I offers from the likes of Arizona State, Duquesne, Kent State, Missouri State, Ohio, SEMO, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure and Virginia Tech.

His recruitment was about to heat up.

Forbes joked at Peach Jam that he wished Coleman would just go sit down so other coaches didn’t realize how good he was.

Funny enough, he was right. After the standout performance in Augusta, Coleman earned himself eight additional offers by the end of July from major players including Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Virginia.

Three of those teams are currently top 15 in the AP Poll.

Wake Forest had to hold on for dear life.

Forbes, though, with his relentless recruiting efforts, scored Coleman’s first official visit on August 22. The guard then saw Texas Tech the next weekend and Saint Louis in early September.

Coleman’s process moved fast, and he decided to shut down his recruitment relatively quickly. Just two months and a day after Forbes laid eyes on the four-star for the first time, the decision was in. Coleman committed to Wake Forest on October 13. He later signed during November’s early period.

“Steve Forbes did an incredible job recruiting him,” Principia head coach Jay Blossom said in an exclusive interview. “It was unbelievable. I bet he came in five times, and that’s not a very close trip. It was Peach Jam, and then it was relentless. Quentin loved Chris Paul and Coach Forbes is pretty smart. He got him involved and stuff like that. I mean, he knew what he was doing.”

“It was a dogfight to get him,” Forbes said.

Why Wake Forest?

With the sound of slot machines humming in the background, Coleman sat with his dad in the Las Vegas airport after Wootten’s Top 150 Camp the final weekend of September. That’s when it hit him.

“I probably knew when I was coming back from Wootten Camp,” Coleman said. “I sat down with my dad in the airport and I was like, ‘Hey dad, I’m leaning on this side.'”

A week and a half later, he made it official.

“I love Steve Forbes,” Coleman said of his decision. “I love Coach [Matt] Woodley. I love all the coaching staff out there. Nick [Friedman]. A really good group of guys. I love where they’re heading. I see how they’re developing, and it’s just a place I want to be. Good relationships with coaches, players. It’s just a good environment for me to be in.”

“They recruited me to come in there and have an opportunity to play in the ACC and win big games, get better with Coach Nick and the development guys out there. I just love the organization at Wake Forest.”

Coleman described Forbes as a funny guy who knows how to lock in when it’s time to lock in. He sees a lot of similarities with Blossom, his current high school coach, and that’s why he gravitated toward the Demon Deacons.

“At the end of the day, when we’re in the car, when we’re outside of basketball, we’re going to laugh,” Coleman said. “We’re going to have a good time. So that’s the environment I want to be in. Going to college isn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. We all know that. With that said, I want to go through ups and downs with people that have true love, don’t make it a business.”

The Road to a Top Prospect

When Coleman was a freshman, he played on the freshman team, and it’s very rare to go from that to impacting varsity basketball, per Blossom.

“How far he’s come is an incredible story,” he said.

By the time Coleman was a sophomore, he was Principia’s sixth man. He then played on the EYCL circuit with the SW Illinois Jets in the summer of 2024. It wasn’t until his junior year when he really broke out.

Blossom urged the guard to start focusing on rebounding, and that became a strong part of his game. The shooting was always there, but he really improved in that area as well. The result? Coleman led Principia to a Class 3A state title, pouring in 30 points in the championship game.

His standout play led him to Bradley Beal Elite this past summer, and the rest is history. Coleman, from a relatively unknown name, has risen to a top-40 prospect, and he’s continued to back it up with his play as a senior.

Earlier this winter at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers (FL), Coleman led Principia to a 3-1 showing and a third-place finish. He had two 30-point games and averaged 22.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.3 steals against Bartlett (TN), Wheeler (GA), Paul VI (VA) and Columbus (FL). All four of those teams are ranked as top-25 programs via MaxPreps. The only loss came to No. 1 Paul VI and No. 2 overall 2026 prospect Jordan Smith Jr.

“I’m showing I’m a winner at these national scales every time I get the opportunity to,” Coleman said. “I just got to keep doing it, keep staying consistent and everything will fall in place.”

But what makes Coleman so special?

“He’s an elite shooter, he’s an elite rebounder, he’s a damn good defender,” Blossom said. “I mean, he’s just tough. He makes all the hustle plays when he’s on the floor. Just one of those — he’s a dude. He’s a ball player. He wins games for you.”

Blossom joked that next season, when Coleman’s not around, he’s not going to look as smart as a head coach.

What to Expect Next Year

Blossom didn’t dance around the question when asked about Coleman’s potential impact next season. He believes the four-star can contribute immediately as a freshman in the ACC, and he wouldn’t rule out Forbes handing him the keys.

“That’s the expectation,” Blossom said.

At 6-4, 180 pounds, Coleman has great positional size. He can handle the ball and is the primary initiator for his high school team. His rebounding has already been well-documented, but his finishing has really improved. He also shot 39% from distance for Bradley Beal Elite and is currently well over 40% with Principia. Add a freshman 15 with those traits, and you’re looking at someone who can be truly special.

Blossom agreed he even has some Keaton Wagler vibes and said he reminds him of one of his former players, Courtney Ramey, who was a standout at Arizona and Texas.

“He’s just an absolute killer competitor, like a big ole do-double-g,” Forbes said of Coleman. “Just plays to win. One of the better rebounding guards I’ve ever recruited. Prolific shooter. Or I should say prolific maker. There’s a lot of shooters, and then there’s makers. He’s a maker.”

“I was just really impressed with him, the way he handled himself on that Bradley Beal team that won the Peach Jam. And look, he wasn’t the top option on the team at the beginning of the spring. But I can promise you, at the end, on championship weekend, he was one of the guys on that team.”

What may say the most about Coleman, though, isn’t what he does on the court. Blossom said he’s really developed as a leader and has locked into the everyday process of what it takes to be great. He’s also impressed with Coleman’s decision to stick with Wake Forest.

“I think he left some money on the table to go where he really wanted to go, which I have a lot of respect for,” Blossom said. “Steve Forbes got a steal. I mean, he got a steal, just telling you. And I think a lot of people realize that now.”