The month of June was very good for the Cincinnati Bearcats and head coach Luke Fickell.
Cincinnati entered the month with eight total commitments and now on July 9th, the Bearcats have 20 total commitments. Additionally, as the summer winds down the Cincinnati coaching staff only has a handful of targets left in 2023
The class is No. 13 overall in the 2023 football recruiting team rankings. Let’s meet all 20 members of the top-ranked class in the American Athletic Conference:
Position: Defensive Back
Hometown: South Bend, Ind.
School: St. Joseph’s
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200 pounds
247Sports Ranking: No. 165 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 227 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Indiana, Florida, Arkansas, Penn State and Michigan
Primary Recruiter: Kerry Coombs
Secondary Recruiter: Colin Hitschler
Why he chose Cincinnati: “Everyone there I had a great connection with, players and coaches,” McCullough said. “And Coach Coombs played a big part because he loves big corners and I know he can take me and develop me into what I want to be in the future.”
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Ironton, Ohio
School: Ironton
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205 pounds
247Sports Ranking: No. 199 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 365 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, Arkansas and Wisconsin
Primary Recruiter: Mike Tressel
Secondary Recruiter: Pat Lambert
Why he chose Cincinnati: “I don’t know, I am kind of weird when it comes to that kind of stuff because I’ve been in the recruiting game since my freshman year so I’ve been to a bunch of different places and I’ve never really gotten that feeling at any of those places except for Cincinnati.” Carter added, “I went there and kind of just had a gut feeling like okay I can really just picture myself playing here and living here for the next four years of my life.”
Position: Cornerback
Hometown: Roseville, Michigan
School: Roseville
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 187 pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 48 cornerback overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 383 overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Iowa, Penn State, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Wisconsin
Primary Recruiter: Kerry Coombs
Secondary Recruiter: Maximus Stienecker
Why he chose Cincinnati: “I’ve visited there probably like seven, six times and every time I went the hospitality was great. I got treated like I was wanted there. Going to the games and people know who I am it was very cool, very special to me. And, you know, it is like, man, it was really cool. Cincinnati has been my day ones and when I found out who came in, Coach Kerry, it was just like man he’s coached in the league, at Ohio State and the guys that he’s produced it was like what not trust him.”
Position: Wide Receiver
Hometown: Powell, Tennessee
School: Powell
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 167 pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 44 wide receiver overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 419 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Mississippi State and Arkansas
Primary Recruiter: Mike Brown
Position: Khamari Anderson
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
School: Cass Tech
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 225-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 21 tight end overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 447 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky and USC
Primary Recruiter: Nate Letton
Secondary Recruiter: Darren Paige and Maximus Stienecker
Why he chose Cincinnati: “It just feels like home, I have a very tight relationship with the coaches. I know you’re not supposed to commit to a school because of the coaches but my relationship with them is very tight. It is where I see myself as the best fit academically and athletically,” said Anderson. “Me being a tight end and the tight end being one of the main positions on their team was big for me.”
Position: Cornerback
Hometown: Hollywood, Florida
School: Chaminade-Madonna Prep
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 165 pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 52 cornerback overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 469 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Five Offers: Georgia, Penn State, Kentucky, Boston College and Texas A&M
Primary Recruiter: Kerry Coombs
Position: Cornerback
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
School: Winton Woods
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 165 pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 50 cornerback overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 474 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Five Offers: West Virginia, Duke, Kentucky, Boston College and Georgia Tech
Primary Recruiter: Kerry Coombs
Secondary Recruiter: Pat Lambert
Position: Quarterback
Hometown: Warren, Michigan
School: De La Salle Collegiate
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 200-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 31 quarterback overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 494 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Indiana, Minnesota, Kansas and Maryland
Primary Recruiter: Gino Guidugli
Why he chose Cincinnati: “Cincinnati has an amazing coaching staff, especially Coach Guidugli and they have amazing facilities and campus and I love the city,” Drogosh said. “After going through the whole process I knew Cincinnati is the place for me and I’m excited to be a part of the Bearcat family.”
Position: Safety
Hometown: Hamilton, Ohio
School: Badin
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 26 athlete overall
Star Ranking: Four-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 495 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Boston College, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Indiana and West Virginia
Primary Recruiter: Colin Hitschler
Secondary Recruiter: Kerry Coombs and Maximus Stienecker
Why he chose Cincinnati: “It was just this feeling I got from every college like a certain feeling I got and they treat me really well there. It is home and it felt like home while I was there,” said Moore. “It was just like the coaches. I have the best relationship with them throughout the process better than any coaching staff I’ve come across and the Cincinnati grit at practices just stuff like that drew me towards them.”
Position: Defensive End
Hometown: Gahanna, Ohio
School: Lincoln
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 240-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 60 defensive lineman overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 595 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Penn State, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia
Primary Recruiter: Walter Stewart
Secondary Recruiter: Pat Lambert and Maximus Stienecker
Why he chose Cincinnati: “Where do I start? From the jump Cincinnati has been one of the first schools to reach out to me,” Burns said. “They’ve been consistent with reaching out to me and all in all I have a great relationship with all the coaches.”
Position: Tight End
Hometown: Miamisburg, Ohio
School: Miamisburg
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 210-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 35 tight end overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 649 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Kentucky, Iowa, Oklahoma, Miami (FL) and Iowa State
Primary Recruiter: Nate Letton
Secondary Recruiter: Gino Guidugli and Maximus Stienecker
Why he chose Cincinnati: “The big reason for me was that it felt most like home for me, personally. Just from the moment I stepped foot on campus I knew that was where I wanted to go,” said McGohan. “Before I ever thought I would be playing for Cincinnati but when I got there for the first time it was just an incredible feeling. They are very nice but they are also honest with you, that’s the thing I really like about them.”
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: Huber Heights, Ohio
School: Wayne
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 285-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 48 interior offensive lineman overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 696 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Georgia Tech
Primary Recruiter: Mike Cummings
Secondary: Maximus Stienecker
Why he chose Cincinnati: “It is my home, I just really like the opportunity to stay home,” said Tengesdahl.
Position: Running Back
Hometown: Starke, Florida
School: Bradford
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 175-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 44 running back overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 735 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Maryland and Utah
Primary Recruiter: Darren Paige
Secondary: Maximus Stienecker and Pat Lambert
Why he chose Cincinnati: ??“Just the brotherhood, the people, the coaches, especially coach Paige and coach Gino and coach Fick, they are just amazing people altogether. And that’s really what it came down to making my decision was just the community and the Brotherhood. That’s basically the locker room,” said Covey. “I mean, at the end of the day, that’s really what I was looking for: the relationship with the coaches and making sure the Brotherhood was good. And that’s how my final decision came to Cincinnati.”
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Youngstown, Ohio
School: Chaney
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 210-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 63 athlete overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 812 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Kentucky, Boston College, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and West Virginia
Primary Recruiter: Colin Hitschler
Secondary Recruiter: Mike Tressel and Maximus Stienecker
Why he chose Cincinnati: “When I first got that injury I thought schools were gonna lay off on me and some schools did but Cincinnati had my back the whole time, never gave up on me and stayed by my side,” said Hewlett.
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
School: Carrollwood Day
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 270-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 71 interior offensive lineman overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 838 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Purdue, Duke, Miami (Fla.), Penn State and California
Primary Recruiter: Mike Cummings
Why he chose Cincinnati: “So even though I’m from Florida, all my family is in the Midwest. I got family in Kentucky, family in Ohio. So this is kind of like my second home is Ohio. But the real reason why I came to the University of Cincinnati, was the culture. And I didn’t know when they came and talked to me, they were like what sets Cincinnati apart is culture and that’s something everyone says, but when they say it they mean it here. I mean, it is unbelievable the amount of time they hang out with each other. And the Brotherhood here is just insane. I’m just so happy to be a part of it” said Jenkins. “And their living space, that’s another big part too. Cincinnati is unbelievable. You get your own three-bedroom apartment with a couple of your teammates. It just felt like home felt, like the right time. So that’s just why I went ahead and committed.”
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: Mullica, New Jersey
School: Clearview Regional School
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 280-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 88 offensive tackle overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 856 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Boston College, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Rutgers
Primary Recruiter: Mike Cummings
Position: Defensive Back
Hometown: Naples, Florida
School: Carrollwood Day
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 175-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 89 cornerback overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 955 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Iowa, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota and Ole Miss
Primary Recruiter: Kerry Coombs
Why he chose Cincinnati: “I feel like Cincinnati was like my city, due to the brotherhood, the staff and how everybody has a close bond. All the guys are always around each other,” said Duclona. “And I feel like they have a similar weight room program to my high school like we lift every day. They say Clifton style and I like that. So as far as that the brotherhood, the coaches, the love I’m getting from them and that’s really it.”
Position: Wide Receiver
Hometown: Ironton, Ohio
School: Ironton
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 190-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 134 wide receiver overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 959 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Duke, Kentucky and Virginia Tech
Primary Recruiter: Mike Brown
Why he chose Cincinnati: “One of the things that stands out to me the most is the coaching staff,” he said. “Coach Mike Brown was telling me the story about how he took Alec Pierce from a linebacker and developed him into a 2nd round wide receiver. I think Coach Brown is one of the best developers in college football. That and the fact that Coach Fickell has a contract for the next six years is exciting because I know I’ll be playing for a great staff my entire college career.”
Position: Offensive Line
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
School: Christian Brothers College
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 270-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 92 offensive tackle overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1027 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Boston College, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Rutgers
Primary Recruiter: Mike Cummings
Why he chose Cincinnati: “Just like a gut feeling. I knew right when I stepped foot off campus for my first unofficial visit, I knew it was just a gut feeling that Cincinnati was the place,” said Gregory.
Position: Rohan Davy
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
School: St. John’s
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 190-pounds
247Sports Ranking: Outside of the Top247, No. 151 athlete overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1090 overall
Star Ranking: Three-star recruit
Top Offers: Maryland, Pittsburgh, Louisville and North Carolina State
Primary Recruiter: Colin Hitschler
Secondary: Mike Tressel and James Ross III
Why he chose Cincinnati: “I mean it just felt like home,” said Davy. “They love me for the person I am, they didn’t just see me as a football player. They were interested in my family, my home life and my background.”
