Two home grown stars bidding to join the Baltimore Ravens receiving corps

Qadir Ismail and Deonte Harty each made their mark on the Baltimore area high school sports scene

Former Baltimore area high school football stars Qadir Ismail (left) and Deonte Harty are attempting to make the NFL roster of their hometown Baltimore Ravens. / Baltimore Ravens

The dream of making an NFL roster is something most high school football stars share, but only a rare few achieve. Rarer still are those who make their NFL mark in their hometowns.

The 2024 Baltimore Ravens have two former Baltimore area stars on their training camp roster and both are attempting to make the team’s receiving corps.

One, Archbishop Curley grad Deonte Harty, is an established NFL veteran who has already achieved All Pro status. The other, John Carroll alum Qadir Ismail, is the son of a Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl champion Qadry Ismail, one of the most productive wide receivers in team history.

Harty burst onto the NFL scene in 2019 when he went from an un-drafted free agent rookie with the New Orleans Saints to a 1st-team All-Pro selection after leading the NFL in punt return yardage. In five NFL seasons, four in New Orleans and last year in Buffalo, Harty has 2,989 return yards and two kick returns for touchdowns. He also has 79 career receptions, 943 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions, to go with 123 rushing yards.

He was named Baltimore area Player of the Year in 2014 by Varsity Sports Network after his senior season at Curley, as he led the Friars to an undefeated season and the MIAA B Conference championship. He recorded 2,030 total yards in 10 games in 2014, including 1,450 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns. In the league championship game, Harty produced 211 total yards and scored five touchdowns.

Lightning fast but undersized, Harty found few Division I college opportunities and settled on Division II Assumption College. All he did there was set a slew of school and NCAA records, including the single season record for combined touchdown returns with eight. He scored 45 career touchdowns, amassed 6,173 all-purpose yards, and returned 14 kicks (punts and kickoffs) for touchdowns.

Harty was signed during the offseason in hopes that he can help the Ravens be productive with the NFL’s revamped kickoff rules while adding some depth to the wide receiver unit.

Ismail is trying to follow the same rout Harty blazed to NFL glory, as an un-drafted free agent rookie. He is making the switch from wide receiver to tight end after switching from quarterback to receiver during his college career.

He played four seasons at Villanova University where he started out as a quarterback. He made one start behind center and three appearances overall, passing for 180 yards. He caught just 14 passes in his college career between Villanova and his senior year at Samford University where he was part of Southern Conference championship team.

He was a three sport star in high school, beginning his career at Patterson Mill high school before transferring to John Carroll School for his final two years. In addition to starring in basketball and track, Ismail served as John Carroll’s quarterback, passing for more than 2,000 yards, rushing for more than 500 and accounting for 25 touchdowns.

Quadry Ismail played 10 NFL season, including three with the Ravens (1999-2001). He had two career 1,000 yard seasons, including a career best 1,105 yards and six touchdowns with the Ravens in 1999. In January of 2001, he was a starting receiver for the Ravens during the 34-7 win over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Harty and Qadir Ismail will suit up in Ravens uniforms together on Friday night in their hometown, as the Ravens host the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Preseason opener for both teams.