Hey guys, I put this on the front page, but wanted to share this story on Patterson, from our sister site, CatsIllustrated. I know Kentucky feels super confident here in this one. But I do think UC is hanging in:

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Hey guys, I caught up with four-star guard Labaron Philon, who's one of UC's top remaining targets in the 2024 class. Wanted to see who's still in contention.
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First off, Philon just transferred over the summer from Baker (Ala.) to Link Year (Mo.), a national prep school powerhouse. If Link sounds familiar it's because that's where UC four-star commit Tyler McKinley played last season and won a national championship. I asked Philon about McKinley and Philon told me, "That's my guy." He said he and McKinley have been tight and it sounds like he's at least partly the reason why Philon transferred. He told me it won't completely decide, but that's a big reason why the Bearcats are in so well here.

But the UC staff has also put a good press on Philon this summer, too. Philon said he's become really close with assistant coach Chad Dollar and coach Wes Miller. He told me he's also noticed that every game he played all summer, he noticed someone from the Bearcats' staff courtside. Overall, Philon said he's been to Cincinnati, but never been on campus in Clifton. I do think he liked the city itself.

No dates as of now, but Philon said he plans to see UC, Alabama, Kansas and Ole Miss this fall, likely in September. He didn't confirm it, but I think those will be official visits. I asked him about the other three, too and Philon seemed to say the most about Kansas. He told me he has a good relationship with assistant coach Jeremy Case and I think that's abig reason why the Jayhawks are in the mix. No mention of Auburn, where he was committed until April, so I'm gonna say the Tigers are out.

I do think this is a two-team race between KU and UC, though Alabama could sneak up and get him as well. I see Ole Miss as more of the outlier right now. Philon did tell me "I feel like I'm close," as far as a decision. My guess is he'll decide in either late September or early October, so UC getting an early visit weekend from him could be big. But I know UC wants to build the hell out of that Oklahoma game Sept. 23. So that could be when Philon and most big recruits visit.

Full story coming.

Guys, UC is hosting a big elite camp and barbecue today (I had mistakenly mentioned yesterday in previous posts) and I wanted to provide some more details. Below is a running list of visitors, which will be updated as I confirm who made it and who did not:

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Hey guys, I got this email from the National Football Foundation with some interesting, random stats with football. Just thought you might be interested:

As the 2023 season approaches, the NFF anticipates that more than one million students will take the field at 15,810 high schools and another 81,000 will play college football at 773 four-year institutions with another 16 colleges and universities having announced plans to add teams in the coming years.

Exceptional growth is also being experienced on several other fronts, and the Sports Business Journal has reported 474,000 girls between the ages of 6 and 17 played flag football in 2022, a 63% increase from 2019. Last season, 16 NAIA schools fielded varsity women’s flag football teams with a total of 19 teams slated for 2023. Flag football also debuted at the 2022 World Games and is in the mix as a potential Olympic sport. Sprint Football, which added the six teams to the mix in 2022, will add two more programs in 2023, bringing the total of colleges with sprint teams to 17.


HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
15,800* High Schools in the U.S. that Sponsor Football

(as of 2021-22 Season, National Federation of State High School Associations)

1.04 Million* High School Football Players in the U.S.

(as of 2021-22 Season, National Federation of State High School Associations)

7.8 Percent of High School Football Players will Play in College

2,584 High Schools in the U.S. Sponsor Girls Tackle Football

(as of 2021-22 Season, National Federation of State High School Associations)

*Note: These numbers do not include private and/or parochial high schools that do not report to the state high school association

COLLEGE FOOTBALL (EST. 1869)
773 Colleges & Universities Playing Football at All Levels

(FBS, FCS, Div. II, Div. III, NAIA and more)

81,000(+) College Football Players in NCAA & NAIA

89 Colleges & Universities Added Football Programs from 2008-22

16 Colleges & Universities Will Add Football Programs in 2023 and Beyond

17 Colleges & Universities Offering Sprint Football

19 Colleges & Universities Offering Women’s Flag Football as a Varsity Sport

123 Junior Colleges Offering Football

0.41 Percent of College Football Players Made NFL Opening Week Rosters in 2022


NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (est. 1920)
32 NFL Teams

2,016 Players on NFL Rosters

297 Rookies Made NFL Opening Week Rosters in 2022 (NFL)

259 College Football Players Were Drafted in 2023

672 College Football Players Signed as Undrafted Free Agents or Received Training Camp Invitations in 2023

3.3 Years is an Average NFL Player’s Career (Statista)


COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY GRADUATION RATES
82% Graduation Success Rate of Football Bowl Subdivision Football Student-Athletes (NCAA)

70% Graduation Rate of General Student Body at Division I Institutions (NCAA)

3,113 Student-Athletes on 2022 College Football Rosters Had Already Earned Their Undergraduate Degrees

5,863 Football Student-Athletes have Returned to School to Earn Their Degrees since 2003—the most among all NCAA Division I sports (NCAA)


NFF COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME (EST. 1951)
5.62 Million College Football Players All-Time (est. 1869)
1,074 Players and 230 Coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame All-Time

Less Than Two One-Hundredths of a Percent (.02%) of All-Time Players Have Earned Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame

22 Coaches and Players from 25 schools representing 6 different decades to be inducted into College Football Hall of Fame Class on December 5, 2023

Another win last night, now the team will play in the quarterfinals Monday at UD Arena in Dayton:
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Hey guys, wanted to follow up on my previous INsider, with 2025 DB Patrick Williams, who again said he'll be at UC this week for the elite camp and BBQ:

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Guys, I caught up with three-star DE/LB Steven Soles, to check in on what he's got going on. Lot to cover here, so I'll lay it all out here.
Login to view embedded media First off, Soles had been a big target for Virginia Tech for a while and had an official visit set there last month. But the Hokies have their eyes set on two targets ahead of him at linebacker and cancelled his visit the week of the visit. Without him explicitly telling me, it sounds like he was ready to commit, but they weren't ready to take it. I can tell it hurt him pretty good, but he told me he's stayed in touch with VT and a couple of assistant coaches since then. So, he could still be a backup there, but I think he'd rather look somewhere else.

The two schools now firmly in the picture are UC and Kentucky. Soles will be at UC's elite camp tomorrow, along with other top prospects. He told me he's been talking a lot with assistant coach Nate Fuqua. Soles said he likes the relationship they have and how they talk about more than football.

Soles told me he's only been to UC once before, for a camp last year with his then-teammate, former Bearcats commit Ayden Greene, who decommitted when Luke Fickell left and went to Virginia Tech. But Soles said Greene has said a lot of good things about UC and Soles liked the trip he took.

With UK, Soles said he doesn't have a date set, but that will be the next visit he takes. He told me assistant coach Mike Stoops saw him in-person and he's been talking a lot of late with assistant coach Scott Woodward, who I believe recruits his area, east Tennessee.

Interesting to see if VT climbs back in here, since he wanted to commit there. And I can't tell to what length UK or even UC want him, but both have made steady contact.

Full story coming.

Nasty Nati DM'd us with a promo code that it looks like they're sending to others as well. But you can get 15% off to see them tomorrow at Xavier in the regional final:
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Big win last night over Xavier alumni, at the Cintas Center no less:
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Just posted a story on our front page. Was a preferred walk-on at Minnesota. Not sure if that's the case at UC or not but I'll be looking into it:

We still don't know dates or times yet, but the Big 12 announced who UC will play home and away in Big 12 Conference play this coming season:

Home: UCF, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, West Virginia
Away: Baylor, BYU, UCF, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Got this email from the National Football Foundation, which lays out the rules changes ahead of this fall:


Enforcing all players’ health and safety rules continues to be the top point of emphasis from the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel. The Targeting rule will remain the same in 2023 as the committee feels the rule continues to drive positive player behavior in terms of the use of the helmet. The committee also noted last year’s change to the blocking below the waist rule resulted in data showing fewer player injuries.

The most significant 2023 football rules changes involve adjustments to the timing and clock rules. The rules committee made these changes to drive three strategic initiatives:

• Keep the game moving in terms of pace of play.
• Moderately reduce the number of plays per game.
• Ensure consistency in officiating mechanics managing the game clock.

Stopping and Starting the Clock – First Downs (Rule 3-3-2-e-1)
When Team A (the offense) gains a first down, the clock will no longer be stopped to award a first down except with less than two minutes remaining in the 2nd and 4th quarters. This change is effective immediately for DI and DII and will be implemented in 2024 for DIII.

Consecutive Charged Team Timeouts (Rule 3-3-4-a)
Consecutive charged team timeouts will no longer be allowed by the same team in any individual dead ball period. Each team is entitled to three charged team timeouts during each half, with no more than one charged team timeout available per team, per individual dead ball period.

Extension of Periods (Rule 3-2-3-a)
A period shall be extended for an untimed down in the 2nd or 4th quarter only if a penalty is accepted for a live-ball foul, if there are offsetting fouls, or an inadvertent whistle. The 1st and 3rd quarters will not be extended, and any penalty enforcement will be carried over to the following quarter.

Drone Policy (Rule 1-4-11-d)
Drones are not allowed over the field or the team area when squad members are present within the playing enclosure. Outside the limit lines, game management (or conference policy) will govern drone activity. This governance includes all FAA, state, and local laws including campus policy where appropriate.

Halftime Intermission (Rule 3-2-1-c & 11-1-3)
The field will be available to squad members for halftime warmup no later than three minutes prior to the second half kickoff. When any Squad Member enters the playing enclosure during the halftime intermission, a staff member from that team must be present on the field.

If kickers or other squad members come onto the playing enclosure before the field is available, their activities must be confined to the team area. All team personnel will be respectful of scheduled halftime activities, and all kicks must be into the practice kicking nets until the field is available.

When the field is available to players, the field will be divided into an “L-shaped” configuration with the thirty yard-lines forming the “L” in order to keep the teams separated.

Instant Replay without an Instant Replay Booth Official (New Rule 12-2-1-c)
The optional use of instant replay in games that do not have an instant replay booth official is now permissible and must be in full compliance with Rule 12 (the replay rule) with the following exceptions:

• The Referee will be the sole decision maker on any review and may include one additional crew member to consult on the review.
• The equipment used in the review must be located outside the limit lines on the sideline or end zone and must be completely outside the team area. The referee and additional crew member must be provided a separate, secure location away from fans and sideline personnel, with a tent or similar type shelter structure.
• The Referee will stop the game to review all Targeting Fouls that are called on the field. The only other method to stop a game for a replay review is through a head coach challenge. When the head coach requests a timeout for replay review, the replay challenge flag must be dropped onto the field of play.
• Other than for a Targeting review, the crew on the field may not initiate an instant replay review.
• The head coach may initiate a Targeting review if the team has a timeout available and a coach’s challenge remaining.

Glad to see the Bearcats get this game back going. It'll be in December at Heritage Bank Center downtown:

Longtime local men's basketball rivals meet for the first time since 2010 when Cincinnati and Dayton battle in the Hoops Classic presented by altafiber on Saturday, Dec. 16 at the newly renovated Heritage Bank Center. The matchup was announced Wednesday by veteran event promoter, bdG Sports.

Tip time and television information will be announced later.

The matchup between Cincinnati and Dayton is contracted as a one-year agreement with an option for a second year.

"It's exciting to re-ignite this rivalry with two programs that have experienced a lot of success in college basketball," said Brooks Downing, President & CEO of bdG Sports. "Both coaches deserve a big thank you for their willingness to start this series."

"We're happy to partner with bdG Sports, which will facilitate a community engagement aspect around a big-time college basketball game in our city," UC head coach Wes Miller said.

UC added seven newcomers this season, including four high-impact transfers this spring as it competes in its first Big 12 season. The Bearcats saw a five-win improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 under Wes Miller, including its 40th 20-win season en route to the NIT Quarterfinals. UC's 77.1 ppg were up 7.7 from the previous year and its most since 2001-02.

"We are excited about the opportunity to compete in the Hoops Classic," Dayton head coach Anthony Grant said. "This game will be a showcase of two tradition-rich programs with very passionate fan bases. It certainly makes for a very attractive matchup in non-conference play."

Dayton was 22-12 in 2022-23, with second-place finishes in the Atlantic 10 in both the regular season and post-season tournament. The Flyers return three starters, including junior forward DaRon Holmes II, a two-All-Atlantic 10 pick and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 A-10 tournament.

Cincinnati and Dayton have met 91 times prior with the Bearcats holding a 60-31 advantage. The rivalry is the third longest in program history for both schools. Cincinnati has played only Miami (Ohio) [149 games] and Louisville [99] more times while Dayton has faced only Xavier [159] and Miami (Ohio) [132] more often.

The Bearcats won the last meeting with Dayton, a 68-34 decision on Nov. 27, 2010 at the Queen City's downtown arena. Dayton's last victory over Cincinnati came the season prior, an 81-66 NIT quarterfinals result at Fifth Third Arena on March 22, 2010.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets go on public sale starting Wednesday, July 26 at 10 a.m. ET at HeritageBankCenter.com, Ticketmaster.com or through the Ticketmaster app.

From our friend EdgyTim, who covers Illinois high school sports, latest on the 2025 TE who said he wants to see UC soon:
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A few new additions here to the list and hierarchy at UC. Here's the info per release from UC athletics:


University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced on Monday several updates to his executive staff.

Bria McLaurin, Keri Thoman and Trever Wright were added to Cunningham’s executive staff, while three senior administrators received updated titles or responsibilities.

McLaurin joined the Bearcats in 2021 and oversees tickets sales and operations as the Associate AD/Ticketing, while Thoman, who joined Cincinnati in 2008, serves as the associate AD/Director of Academic Services and oversees women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse.

Wright came to UC in 2014 and has served as the Associate AD for Compliance since 2018. He oversees track and field and cross country.

John Daniel was promoted to Deputy AD/Chief Financial Officer. He has served as UC’s CFO and as a member of executive staff since April 2022. Daniel also is the administrative oversight for football.

Brad Pike moved to a newly created role of AD Chief of Staff where he will report directly to Cunningham and assist with all administrative operations for the athletic department in addition to taking on the role of oversight of the men’s basketball program. Pike joined UC in in May 2022 as the Executive Senior Associate AD for Wellness. He will continue to oversee the Bearcats’ student-athlete health and wellness initiatives.

Deputy AD/External Anthony Di Fino will expand his role to oversee the executive staff as well as UCATS – the fundraising arm for Cincinnati Athletics. Di Fino will continue to oversee all external operations, including ticket sales and service, fan experience and engagement and The Agency (creative/communications/digital).

“Heading into our new fiscal year and as we enter the Big 12, I spent time evaluating our department and determined this was the right moment to expand our executive staff to include all of our sport supervisors and those that lead our revenue generation efforts,” Cunningham said. “Our mission, to connect our community, enhance our university and change the lives of student-athletes continues. These changes allow our department to run more efficiently and will make us better equipped to handle the constantly evolving world of college athletics – especially in the Name, Image and Likeness era.”

Cincinnati Athletics Executive Staff – 2023-24

• John Cunningham, Director of Athletics
• John Daniel, Deputy AD/CFO
• Anthony Di Fino, Deputy AD, External Relations
• Maggie McKinley, Deputy AD, Senior Woman Administrator
• Brad Pike, Chief of Staff
• Karen Hatcher, Executive Senior Associate AD/Assistant VP, Principal Gifts – Athletics
• Joe Luckey, Executive Senior Associate AD, Student-Athlete Support Services
• Brad Okel, Executive Director of UCATs
• Ben Hofstetter, Senior Associate AD, Digital & Strategic Engagement
• Bria McLaurin, Associate AD, Ticketing
• Michael Thomas, Associate AD, Major and Principal Gifts/Senior Director of Development – Athletics
• Keri Thoman, Associate AD, Director of Academic Services
• Trever Wright, Associate AD, Compliance & Administration

Hey guys, I posted an INsider a few weeks ago on Cam Thomas. Here's the full story on him, with some more updated info included:

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Guys, not a lot of movement the past couple of weeks with recruiting, as far as offers, with coaches out on vacations with their families. But I caught up with one of the last offers, Rabun Gap Nacoochee (Ga.) DB Patrick Williams, who got the offer after camping at UC June 15.
Login to view embedded media Williams now has four scholarship offers, though the other three are much smaller, from Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky and Florida A&M. Williams also camped at Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Florida, South Alabama and Troy, though none obviously ended with an offer.

At UC, Williams said he felt like he had a great camp, working with assistant coach Kerry Coombs, who made the offer. "He’s a cool coach, I’m not gonna lie," Williams told me. "He’s probably one of my favorite coaches." It sounds like Williams just really likes Coombs' personality. And since the camp, Williams said they've talked a couple of times a week, including on FaceTime. They've talked about getting back to UC and Williams said he's hoping to get to the Bearcats' elite camp/barbecue on July 25. But that's not certain at this point.

Williams did tell me overall, he likes the location of UC, how it's close to the city, but not right in it. But he didn't get a tour, since his visit was for camp, so he's hoping to do that if he attends next week. Williams said he also loves the recent track record of getting DBs drafted, including Sauce Gardner. That continues to go a long way.

The other school I'd really watch here is Virginia Tech. Williams camped there in late June and have stayed in contact. He told me he wants to see the Hokies again, as well as Kentucky. Tennessee is sniffing, but I don't think there's enough interest there. I am surprised the Sun Belt schools didn't offer, but oh well. Still plenty early, but interesting to see if Williams does get back to UC next week.

Full story coming.

Release I got earlier from UC. Corie Blount, Antwan Peek, Ann Thomas and Chris Wineburg will all be inducted:


The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics announced the 2023 Class for the James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame on Monday.

The 2023 Class includes Corie Blount (men’s basketball), Antwan Peek (football), Ann Thomas (women’s soccer) and Chris Wineberg (men’s track and field).

The 2023 Class will officially be inducted at the 22nd Annual Legion of Excellence Gala on Friday, Sept. 15 at Fifth Third Arena.


The reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a 7 p.m. dinner and program. Tickets are $125. Registration will open in early August for the event.

“From the fields to the court and the track, these four Bearcats were game-changers and trailblazers,” Director of Athletics John Cunningham said. “I’m excited to welcome our latest Bearcats legends to our Hall of Fame. They each had a tremendous impact on their programs on and off the field. Their influence will be felt for years to come. They are Bearcats for life, and I’m looking forward to honoring them in person this fall.”

The James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honor and pay tribute to those individuals and teams who have made outstanding contributions in the field of intercollegiate athletics and helped bring recognition, honor, distinction and excellence to the University of Cincinnati and its athletics programs through participation, support, or interest. The Hall of Fame is named in honor of Jim Kelly, Sr., who was associated with UC for over 40 years as an athlete, assistant coach, and administrator.

In addition to the Hall of Fame, the Legion of Excellence annually recognizes the academic achievements of current UC student-athletes from each sport, new inductees to the UCATS Order of the Black Blazer along with a winner of the Strubbe Distinguished Service Award and the Bob Goin Service Award for contributions to Cincinnati Athletics.

Cincinnati's 2023 Hall of Fame Class

Corie Blount (men’s basketball, 1991-93)

Blount was a member of 1992 Final Four team and 1993 Elite Eight Team. He started 50 games in two seasons and averaged 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for his career. He blocked 84 shots, and in 1992 was UC's first with 50-plus since 1978. He was a first round pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1993 and played 11 NBA seasons, including four each with the Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.


Antwan Peek (football, 1998-02)

Peek was a three-year starter at defensive end, leading UC to three-straight bowl games and its first conference title in nearly 40 years. He was a two-time First Team All-Conference USA defensive end (2001-02) and three-time John Pease Award winner for most outstanding defensive lineman. He was team Co-MVP on the 2002 Conference USA Championship team – UC’s first league title since 1964. He is UC’s all-time leader in sacks (27.0), tackles for loss (56.0), forced fumbles (17) and blocked kicks (7). He was a third round pick (No. 67 overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2003 in the NFL Draft and played five seasons in the NFL, including four with the Texans and one with the Browns, finishing with 28 starts over 65 games played.


Ann Thomas (women’s soccer, 1997-01)

Thomas was an All-American forward for the Bearcats from 1997 to 2001. She was twice named to the Conference USA All-Conference Team, including first team honors in 2001 and was an All-Freshman Team choice in 1998. She helped lead Cincinnati to a 10-0 conference mark and third regular season Conference USA Championship in 2001, collected All-America accolades along the way. The Bearcats advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2001 NCAA Women’s College Cup, its fifth NCAA Tournament Appearance and best finish, and earned wins over Oakland and No. 7 Notre Dame in the tournament.


Chris Wineberg (men’s track and field, 2001-04)

Wineberg was a two-time C-USA decathlon champion in 2002 and 2004 and was named a USTFCCCA All-American in the event in 2004. He held the school record in the decathlon for 17 years before it was broken in 2021. In 2004, he led the Bearcats to an undefeated record of 40-0 which included a 100-point victory over second-place Miami in the All-Ohio and a 39-point victory as well as a 42-point margin over nationally-ranked Houston and TCU, respectively, in the Conference USA Track & Field Championships. He has served as an assistant coach for the UC track and field program for 17 years, producing 21 NCAA All-Americans, 25 National qualifiers and 26 Conference Athletes of the Meet.

Guys, I'm linking this here and not on the front page because it's mostly about Duke. Our Rob Cassidy seems to think the Blue Devils now have the momentum. I've been texting Bidunga a bit and talked to him just a few minutes today and this week, he and I are supposed to do an interview. I'll have more to share then, including more on UC and all of the teams involved. But for now, here's Cassidy's piece on him:

I like this breakdown of each school that went yesterday at Big 12 Media Days, including UC. This from Rivals' site covering Kansas State:

Good write up from Rival's site covering Kansas on Brett Yormark saying he wants to keep the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City:

Big news on this today. What does anyone else think? Certainly cements Emory Jones at QB.

UC will get some national exposure for another game.
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Hey y'all, this will be a regular feature this fall. For every Scott Satterfield press conference, I'll post this, with three main points and breaking down what he meant. It's a way to sift through the 'coach speak' to what Satterfield is really trying to say: