Full post game press conference video:

Mistakes again crept up here, the biggest being the fumbled kickoff:

Hey all, dropping a list of the confirmed names for this weekend below. As always, this list is not comprehensive and I'll be adding more as more are confirmed.
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Hey y'all, I gave some of the big details earlier this week in an INsider. But here's the full story on Perry, ahead of his UC official this weekend. I'll catch back up with him next week.:

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Hey y'all, with jase Richardson and Labaron Philon, UC's top two point guard targets in the 2024 class, committed elsewhere, the Bearcats are going all in on four-star guard Travis Perry. Most of you probably know, but going into his senior year of high school, Perry is already the leading scorer in KHSAA history, with 4,338 points. I caught up with Perry last night to get some details on where things stand.
Login to view embedded media Perry is set to officially visit UC this weekend. He's been on campus a few times already, including over the summer and earlier in the year with some of his Indiana Elite (AAU team) teammates, including five-star Flory Bidunga. This time, Perry told me will be the first time both of his parents get to visit UC. And though he didn't say it, this will be the first time he will be THE focus for the Bearcats' staff.

Perry told me he talks to coach Wes Miller more than anyone else on the staff, but also talks a lot with assistant coaches Drew Adams and Andre Morgan. With Miller, Perry told me he likes how he feels like Miller has "made me a priority" and said he's now played gold with Miller a couple of times. Just an FYI, if basketball doesn't work out for Perry long term, golf would be his fallback. He's actually a very good golfer and plays for his high school, Lyon County (Ky.).

Adams, if you'll remember, has a connection to Indiana Elite and actually coached Perry there until Adams joined the UC staff last year. I think everyone thought Adams would help UC land Bidunga, but it may turn out to be Perry that it works with.

Right now, Perry has one other official visit set, to Michigan next week. He officially visited the Wolverines last month, but there's now an NCAA rule that allows for multiple official visits and Perry is taking advantage. He also visited Ole Miss, Purdue and Missouri last month for officials. The first two were his second officials there, to Ole Miss and Purdue.

The one thing to note here is that Perry was at Kentucky over the weekend for Big Blue Madness. I think Perry is one of those kids who would LOVE to play for the Wildcats, being from Kentucky and growing up rooting for them as a kid. But UK is slow-playing him. They hosted five-star Darius Acuff for an official over the weekend and are also involved in other much-higher ranked point guards like Boogie Fland. I don't think Perry is super high for John Calipari right now. That said, UK would absolutely take him as a walk-on and I wouldn't completely rule that out, as crazy as that may sound.

In the end, I think this comes down to UC, Michigan, Ole Miss and that walk-on spot from Kentucky once the Wildcats grab Acuff, Fland or another top point they're after.

The Bearcats have a lot to sell. Not many guards fill it up like Perry, who has great handles, is a sharpshooter from three and can drive to the hole to score or dish off really well. It'll be a big weekend for UC, with Perry's parents with him. The atmosphere at the football game and how the relationship sense is with the coaches will go a long way. I'll follow back up with Perry next week after his official.

More to come.

Our weekly Q&A with the opposing team's beat writer. This week we spoke with Nolan Ruth, publisher of the Rivals site covering Baylor, SicEmSports.com:

Hey guys, wanted to post the players' reactions yesterday during media day in Kansas City. Here's what was said by Viktor Lakhin, Ody Oguama and John Newman III:

Hey guys, I'm in Kansas City at the Big 12 Tip off at T-Mobile Center. I'll be posting updates here throughout the day on info coming out of KC, in addition to what I'm posting on X. So feel free to ask any questions as well and I can answer them here.

Courtesy of our friends at CycloneReport.com:

Revealed last night, with the Jumpman logo:
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Video from UC's press conference this afternoon:

Some good news for UC, Dontay Corleone has been named to the mid-season watch list for the Lombardi Award. Full release below:

Houston, TX (October 17, 2023) - The Lombardi Award™, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Houston, is pleased to announce the 100 players who will compete for this year's coveted award. The Lombardi Award™ goes annually to the college football offensive or defensive lineman who exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi in addition to outstanding performance and ability.

This year's midseason watch list is brimming with talent from many schools and conferences, setting the stage for a thrilling voting process and award season. To be considered for the Lombardi Award™, players must be an NCAA FBS College Football team member and meet the following qualifications:

• Be a down Lineman, end to end, either on offense or defense, setting up no further than ten (10) yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap.
• Be a Linebacker on defense, setting up no further than five (5) yards deep from the line of scrimmage.
• Must not come out of the offensive backfield and set up on the line of scrimmage as a Blocker or a Receiver or listed in the program as an Offensive Back or Receiver.
• Be eligible to participate in the current season.

Introducing the 2023 Lombardi Award™ Midseason Watchlist, a compilation of exceptional linemen from across college football. This List is carefully curated by a subcommittee of the Lombardi Award™ committee, focusing on players' past on-field performances and potential for the remainder of the 2023 college football season. Only athletes who have played in at least one NCAA Division I college or university game are eligible for inclusion.

A diverse group of 100 players from all 10 FBS conferences and multiple independents make up our midseason watchlist, fueling excitement for a thrilling college football season. The Big Ten leads with 20 selections, followed by the Big 12 and SEC with 16 each. Eighteen players from last season's College Football Playoff teams (Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, and TCU) are also represented on the List.

The Big Ten conference is a reservoir of talent drawn from Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin. Within this exceptional pool of players, Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Chop Robinson, representing Penn State, are making a significant impact. Fashanu, an outstanding offensive tackle with the highest pass-blocking PFF grade as of October 13 (92.9), is poised to be one of the top selections in the 2024 NFL Draft, thanks to his imposing size and remarkable skills that are set to lead the Nittany Lions' offensive charge in 2023. On the defensive front, Chop Robinson has been a dominant presence, starting all five games at defensive end and earning recognition as an early-round prospect for the 2024 draft.

Ohio State, another powerhouse in the Big Ten, showcases remarkable talent, including Tommy Eichenberg, Michael Hall Jr., Matthew Jones, Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, and Tyleik Williams. In particular, Tuimoloau, Sawyer, and Hall Jr. are highly anticipated first-round picks in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. JT Tuimoloau's 17 tackles this season further solidify his reputation as a game-changing player. In addition, Illinois' defensive prowess is anchored by Jer'zhan Newton, widely recognized as one of the nation's premier defensive tackles.

Georgia and Alabama, two SEC powerhouses, have made a strong presence on our midseason list, with Georgia contributing five players and Alabama adding four. Georgia's selections are headlined by Brock Bowers, a dynamic tight end who was a 2022 finalist and is projected to be a top-10 pick. Joining him are Amarius Mims (OT), Jamon Dumas-Johnson (LB), Sedrick Van Pran (OC), and Tate Ratledge (OG). On the Alabama front, their selections include J.C. Latham, an offensive tackle known for his robust blocking and exceptional pass protection skills. He is accompanied by teammates Dallas Turner, a versatile linebacker who has already notched 26 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2023, and Chris Braswell, a rising star at linebacker. Notably, all three Alabama players are expected to be day-one draft picks, underscoring the impressiveness of their inclusion in our watch list. Collectively, the SEC is poised to be one of the most prolific conferences in the 2023 NFL Draft, with Georgia and Alabama leading the way.

The Pac-12 is a formidable force in college football, with 13 standout players hailing from Arizona, California - Berkeley, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC, Utah, and Washington. Leading the charge for the Bruins is Laiatu Latu, widely regarded as the best overall edge defender in the nation, boasting an exceptional 93.7 grade on PFF and five sacks to solidify his elite status. On the other end of the conference, the Washington Huskies feature defensive end Bralen Trice, a pre-season first-team All-American known for imposing nine sacks in the 2022 season, making him a highly coveted prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. As Trice and Latu lead the way, the Pac-12's talent pool continues to impress nationally.

In the Big 12, Texas is leading the conference with four selections: Christian Jones (OT), Jaylan Ford (LB), Ja'Tavion Sanders (TE), and T'Vondre Sweat (DT). No other player in college football has wreaked havoc like Sweat has this year. At 6'4" and 362 lbs, he is the epitome of Texas strong. The Big 12 also has selections from BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, and Texas Tech.

By Conference: Big Ten (20), Big 12 (16), SEC (16), ACC (15), Pac-12 (13), American (7), Independent (4), Sun Belt (4), Mountain West (3), C-USA (1), MAC (1)

Complete List sorted alphabetically:

Elijah Alston, Marshall, Jr., DE

Joe Alt, Notre Dame, Jr., OT

Caleb Bacon, Iowa State, So., LB

Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, So., OT

Jaishawn Barham, Maryland, So., LB

Graham Barton, Duke, Sr., OT

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Sr., OG

Brock Bowers, Georgia, Jr., TE

Chris Braswell, Alabama, Sr., LB

DeWayne Carter, Duke, Rs. Sr., DT

Barrett Carter, Clemson, Jr., LB

Duke Clemens, UCLA, Sr., OC

Javion Cohen, Miami, Jr., OG

Brandon Coleman, TCU, Sr., OG

Junior Colson, Michigan, Jr., LB

Marley Cook, Middle Tennessee, Rs. Jr., DT

Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, Rs. So., DL

Howard Cross III, Notre Dame, Sr., DT

Tyler Davis, Clemson, Gr., DT

Justin Dedich, USC, Rs. Sr., OC

Brandon Dorlus, Oregon, Sr., DE

Ethan Downs, Oklahoma, Jr., DE

Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia, Jr., LB

Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State, Gr., LB

Jonah Elliss, Utah, Jr., DE

D'Mitri Emmanuel, Florida State, Rs. Sr., OG

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State, Jr., OT

Troy Fautanu, Washington, Jr., OT

Blake Fisher, Notre Dame, Jr., OT

Jaylan Ford, Texas, Sr., LB

Javon Foster, Missouri, Gr., OT

Zach Frazier, West Virginia, Jr., OC

Tailese Fuaga, Oregon State, Jr., OG

Dallas Gant, Toledo, Sr., LB

AJ Gillie, Louisana, Rs. Jr., OG

Ashton Gillotte, Louisville, Jr., DL

Delmar Glaze, Maryland, Rs. Jr., OT

Mason Graham, Michigan, So., DT

Cedric Gray, North Carolina, Sr., LB

Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State, Jr., DT

Christian Haynes, UConn, Rs. Sr., OG

Sincere Haynesworth, Tulane, Sr., OC

Jason Henderson, Old Dominion, Jr, LB

Branson Hickman, SMU, Jr., OC

Jay Higgins, Iowa, Sr., LB

Jaylon Hutchings, Texas Tech, Gr., DL

McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M, Sr, DT

Nick Jackson, Iowa, Sr., LB

Kris Jenkins, Michigan, Sr., DT

Matthew Jones, Ohio State, Gr., OG

Christian Jones, Texas, Sr., OT

Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest, Rs. Sr., OG

Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State, Sr., DE

Adam Karas, Air Force, Sr., OT

Tyrice Knight, UTEP, Sr., LB

J.C. Latham, Alabama, Jr., OT

Laiatu Latu, UCLA, Sr., DE

Beaux Limmer, Arkansas, Rs. Sr., OT

Christian Mahogany, Boston College, Gr., OG

Brandon Matterson, UTSA, Sr., DT

Amarius Mims, Georgia, Jr,, OT

Jonah Monheim, USC, Rs. Jr., OT

Jordan Morgan, Arizona, Sr., OT

Gabriel Murphy, UCLA, Rs. Jr., DE

Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois, Jr., DT

Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin, Rs. Sr., LB

Mike Novitsky, Kansas, Rs. Sr., OC

Drake Nugent, Michigan, Gr., OC

Justin Osborne, SMU, Sr., OG

Thor Paglialong, Air Force, Sr., OC

Patrick Paul, Houston, Jr., OT

Josh Pearcy, Rice, Rs. Jr., DE

Harold Perkins, LSU, So., LB

Owen Porter, Marshall, Rs Sr, DE

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon, Jr., OC

Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois, Jr., DT

Tate Ratledge, Georgia, Jr., OG

Chop Robinson, Penn State, Jr., DE

Ja'Tavion Sanders, Texas, Jr., TE

Jack Sawyer, Ohio State, Jr., DE

Jackson Sirmon, California - Berkley, Rs. Sr., LB

Maason Smith, LSU, So., DT

Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, Jr., LB

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU, So., OT

T'Vondre Sweat, Texas, Sr., DT

Leonard Taylor III, Miami, So., DT

Bralen Trice, Washington, Sr., DE

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson, Jr., LB

JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State, Jr., DE

Dallas Turner, Alabama, Jr., LB

Princely Umanmielen, Florida, Jr., DE

Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, Rs. So., OC

Jared Verse, Florida State, Rs. Jr., DE

Nathaniel Watson, Missippi State, Gr., LB

Marlowe Wax, Syracuse, Jr., LB

Damonic Williams, TCU, So., DT

Tyleik Williams, Ohio State, Jr., DT

Payton Wilson, NC State, Sr., LB

Mekhi Wingo, LSU, Jr., DT

Zak Zinter, Michigan, Sr., OG

In what will likely be more fallout at Michigan State from the Mel Tucker firing, three-star Andrew Dennis mentioned Cincinnati as a school he's now interested in following his decommitment. Bearcats were in it for a while, no word yet on if they'll pick it back up for Dennis:

Kansas at No. 1, three Big 12 teams (Houston, Texas, Baylor) also ranked.
https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll

One final look back at the loss Saturday, with Pro Football Focus' individual grades:

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Hey y'all, I've come across a few nuggets I wanted to pass on, on this glorious Wednesday afternoon:

*First off, the big one is that we've been told by a VERY good source close to four-star forward Tyler Betsey that UC is the clear leader here. As our friend Rob Cassidy posted earlier today, this was down to a two-team race between UC and Alabama. Not sure exactly why, but told the Bearcats are the big front-runner here. Now, I never say never until a commitment happens, or even a letter of intent, but it all looks and sounds great for UC. And as of now, the plan is for Betsey to announce his commitment a week from Saturday (Oct. 7). Not sure what the significance is there, but mark that on your calendar unless we hear a different date.

I've put in my FutureCast pick for the Bearcats, by the way.
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**The other guy that we've got some intel on is Jayden Quaintance, the five-star center from North Carolina. Talks have continued and progressed here. I mentioned in the last INsider post that UC was trying to set up an official visit in October. And I'm told it's set for Oct. 14, when the Bearcats host Iowa State in football. Missouri really feels good here, as does Ohio State and a few others. But the Bearcats have continued to push here and if the visit does indeed happen, I like their chances.
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***Finally, I don't have a lot concrete, but at least wanted to mention Jase Richardson here. UC feels 'good' after his official visit this past weekend. I think it was big for him to see the atmosphere, the fan support and the level that the Bearcats are at now in the Big 12, including the Fox coverage and pre-game show. That said, Arkansas and Michigan State still also feel 'really good' about him, according to one of our sources close to him. I think UC still is in it and has a good chance, but the feeling is just ok here right now. So, take it or leave it, but that's what I'm hearing.
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****Lastly, I did want to mention Jasper Johnson is still in contention here. Sources on the UC staff tell me they think he could go either way, whether he reclassifies to the 2024 class or not. But their feeling is that he'll stay in 2025. Of course, IF and that's a big if, they get Betsey and Quaintance, I'm not sure there's any room left for Johnson. That's even though I was told the Bearcats wanted a point guard in the class. Should that come up down the road, my guess is a transfer or JUCO point in the class. Sounding more like if UC loses out on Richardson, no high school point guard in the class.

More coming when available.

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Hey y'all, just wanted to add a bit in here on four-star Jase Richardson, who said he will announce his decision Sunday between UC, Alabama and Michigan State. He officially visited the Bearcats Sept. 23 for the Oklahoma game.

I'm told by our sources within Rivals that the expectation is he'll pick Alabama, but it's not 100%. All three schools have made a serious push. And as I've said from the beginning, with his dad, Jason Richardson, having all the success he did at Michigan State, the Spartans would be in it til the end.

Richardson officially visited Alabama the weekend after UC and it sounds like that sold him. Not sure exactly what sold him, but something did. I'm sure the collective there is also making a difference. UC's collective, Cincy Reigns, played a big factor in landing Tyler Betsey, I just don't have any specifics. A very good source at UC said they haven't heard anything for certain but "hope it's not true" that Richardson chooses Alabama.

Our friend Rob Cassidy, Rivals' recruiting director is in Las Vegas covering the Wootten Showcase (https://coachwootten.com/tournaments/) and will also stay for the weekend tournament. He told me Richardson is not there currently and was a bit surprised by that. So, not sure where that's going right now.

That said, it's still worth monitoring the announcement. No set time, but hope to have that soon.
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