Fast and Furious

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published July 25, 2025, 5:36 PM

LATROBE, Pa. – Donte Kent’s Speed Comes With Bite, Not Just Burn.

Maybe it’s just me, but when someone says a player is “fast,” it often comes with a little unspoken asterisk. It sometimes implies finesse, not force. Speed guys, track guys don’t always bring the fight. They don’t have to. After all, why hit when you can just outrun?

But Steelers rookie cornerback Donte Kent is something else entirely. He’s fast, yes clocked at 4.38 in the forty-yard dash but there’s an edge to his game that doesn’t soften with speed. If anything, it sharpens it.

Since arriving in Pittsburgh as a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Kent has been quietly stacking strong reps in Latrobe. You can see the raw athleticism right away the hips, the click-and-close, the make-up burst down the sideline. But you also see something else.

A little bit of nasty.

In a good football way.

Whether it’s finishing a rep through the whistle or standing his ground in press drills, Kent carries himself like a guy who didn’t just inherit toughness—he earned it.

“I think that just comes from how I grew up,” Kent said after practice at Saint Vincent College. “Three older brothers. I’m the baby of them all. You had to learn to grow up quick. They were rough on me, tough on me, man. Still got that toughness in me til this day.”

It shows.

There’s a bulldog in Kent’s game that backs up the stopwatch. He’s not just one of the faster players on the field he’s one of the more physical, too. It’s rare when speed comes with bite. Kent brings both.

Turns out, that aggression comes from more than just backyard brawls with his brothers.

“I also grew up a wrestler as well,” Kent said. “Yeah, that plays a lot into it.”

No doubt. Wrestling teaches leverage, balance, body control—traits that translate directly to man coverage. You see it in the way Kent handles contact, reroutes receivers, and closes with controlled violence at the catch point. He’s not guessing out there. He’s engaging.

“I played defense all my life,” Kent said. “Now I played offense too. Running back, receiver but I consistently played corner every year. Defense was where it was at for me.”

It still is.

And now, in a cornerback room filled with veterans and savvy pros, Kent is trying to make his mark not by talking loud, but by working hard. Every rep matters. Every practice is a chance to climb.

“Latrobe’s nice,” he said, smiling between meetings. “I love football. Just having fun, learning as much as I can, making the most of the reps that I have.”

Those reps are adding up. And soon, they’ll include a moment Kent has had circled since before camp started: his first rep against Aaron Rodgers.

“No, not yet,” he said when asked if they’ve gone head-to-head. “I’m looking forward to it. I grew up watching him.”

There’s no false bravado in Kent’s tone. Just the right blend of respect and readiness. That’s what makes him a Steeler already in spirit. Tough. Humble. Fast. Mean.

Speed doesn’t always mean soft.

With Donte Kent, it means mean.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com