Details weren't disclosed, but the university announced Travis Kelce has made a big donation to UC. Here's the release:


Kansas City Chief and former Cincinnati Bearcat, Travis Kelce has announced that his Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation will make a substantial contribution to the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department by launching a Health and Wellness Endowment for Bearcats student-athletes.

The endowment will fund Cincinnati’s Sports Psychology and Counseling Department, directly impacting and aiding all 450 student-athletes at Kelce’s alma mater, expanding the staff and personnel for Director of Sports Psychology Lenecia Nickell in the process.

The grant ensures that all UC student-athletes will have permanent access to the care and services needed to be mentally and physically strong, confident and resilient.

“During my time at UC I developed a solid infrastructure of people around to help me navigate through daily life as a student-athlete,” said Kelce. “The transition from high school to college was a difficult one; it was an emotional rollercoaster at times dealing with my academic responsibilities and holding my own on the field. There was little to no room for error in the classroom and on the field. Being able to have that support system in place is part of the reason why I decided to start this Endowment and give back to my alma mater and its athletic department. I’m at a place in my career where I’m able to share my experiences and lend resources to provide the university’s student-athletes with the assistance they need to become the best versions of themselves they can be.”

Kelce played at UC from 2009 to 2012, scoring eight touchdowns in his final season before heading to the NFL where he has starred for the Chiefs for the last decade, establishing himself as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.

“We are honored to have Travis Kelce launch this transformational endowment for our student-athletes,” UC Director of Athletics John Cunningham said. “This is a really special gift from Travis because it comes from a former student-athlete for current and future student-athletes, but also because it will impact student-athletes for years to come.

“Travis is a tremendous ambassador for the University of Cincinnati and we are grateful for his continued support for our athletes and our athletic department. Mental health is a crucial component of college athletics. Travis’ gift will ensure that Cincinnati remains on the forefront of support for all UC athletes.”

Kelce is a dedicated philanthropist who is passionate about helping the lives of youth who are facing adversity. He founded Eighty-Seven & Running in 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. The organization aims to help underserved youth strive to become productive citizens by creating motivating mentor programs that aid in exploring and developing their abilities while learning critical life skills.

“Nurturing mental and physical health is crucial in developing successful futures for student-athletes, said André Eanes, Kelce’s business Manager, and himself a former Cincinnati Bearcat.

The University has constructed an incredible foundation to aid the physical needs of student-athletes, which is just as important as supporting their mental health as both are vital in optimizing wellbeing and excellence with performance in the classroom, on the field, and their life beyond sports.”

Hey guys, I just got word that UC still expects to receive the signed letters of intent from Rayvon Griffith and Jizzle James today. As of this post, they have not arrived in the men's basketball office, but that's just a formality. Nothing to worry about I'm told by a source in the program.

I'll post something when the guys do sign.

Full story on Moreno, following up my previous INsider. This kid is still a bit raw, but coaches love his size and athleticism. I've heard Indiana especially likes him.

BearcatReport - Moreno Impressed by UC, Others

Sophomore wing Malachi Moreno continues to generate interest, including with UC, where he visited recently.

cincinnati.rivals.com

Local 2026 WR Chris Henry Jr. will visit Cincinnati this weekend.

He is the son of former Bengals great Chris Henry.

The 6-foot-2, 175 pounder recently transferred from West Clermont to Withrow. He said the following on his upcoming visit, “I heard Cincinnati’s atmosphere is electric. I’m very excited to see it in person”

Henry will also visit Ohio State on Saturday.

I will follow up with Chris after his visits to get his thoughts.

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Bearcats tip off here at 5th/3rd here in 20 mins...

Individual grades for UC from the win Saturday:

Full press conference from this afternoon:

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Guys, I caught up with one of UC's visitors from the Navy game, three-star TE Gavin Grover. This was his second game this season, as he also visited for the Indiana game. Grover is now up to 14 offers, most recently from Rutgers, Missouri and West Virginia.
Login to view embedded media I can tell you right now that UC is quite high on Grover's list. He told me he wants to stay close to home, he likes how UC uses its tight ends and he likes how the Bearcats have developed players, especially tight ends. He specifically pointed out Josh Whyle and the transformation he had from a tall, skinny kid out of high school to the 250-pound guy he is now.

Grover also really likes assistant coach Nate Letton. He told me he likes how many good things he's heard about Letton from others outside of UC, how he honest he believes he is and how he respects Letton for how he handles himself when talking to people. "I just love where our relationship is going and can’t wait to continue building this with him," Grover told me.

The previous weekend, Oct. 29, Grover was at Michigan for its game against Michigan State. He told me he loves what the program has done with tight ends and loves the atmosphere at home games. The previous weekend, Oct. 22, Grover was at Penn State for its white out game against Minnesota. He told me he loves how guys like Mike Gesicki and Pat Freirmuth are in the NFL, how the tight end is used and then told me that Beaver Stadium is the "best gameday atmosphere I've seen."

Two visits left on the docket this season. Grover isn't going anywhere this weekend, but will be at Pittsburgh Nov. 19 and Ohio State Nov. 26 for the Michigan game. I honestly think Grover is the tight end that UC is in best with. And the Bearcats will always prioritize that position. So yes, I think UC is the leader, but it's still slim. Grover is definitely considering everyone.

Full story coming.

Full post game press conference. Our man Sam Kwiatkowski was on hand as well. Game notes in another thread:

Spoke with some with ties to the athletic department and they mentioned Cincinnati should be announcing the plans for an new basketball practice facility soon.

They mentioned TQL as a sponsor and said potential renovations to the baseball stadium are possible.

Hey all, just wanted to compile a list of some of the notable recruits who will be at Nippert Stadium tomorrow for UC's game against Navy. This is by no means an exhaustive list. And I'll be adding more to it as I confirm more visitors:
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Sam already pointed this out in another thread, but for consistency, wanted to post like I do all new offers for UC:
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Cincinnati could very well lose the commitment of Winton Woods DB Cam Calhoun.

The coaching staff made a play yesterday by offering ‘23 DB Cruce Brookins. The 6-foot-2 prospect played his high school ball at Steel Valley in PA.

I’m in contact with Brookins and will have more regarding his relationship with Cincinnati.
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Just as suitors are trying to poach current Cincinnati commits, the Bearcats former Toledo pledge Ardell Banks out of Massillon (OH) yesterday.

The lengthy 6-foot-4 WR also picked a Kentucky offer.

I’m working on getting more info from Banks and his plans going forward

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Sam already brought up Cameron Calhoun getting a Michigan offer, but here's Rivals.com's Michigan site weighing in on flipping him:

Sounds like he's in some hot water. Was the Bearcats' top-ranked recruit in the 2022 class:
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10 catches, 139 yards and a pair of scores for Tyler Scott.

Full post game press conference:

The Bearcats have one of the best recruiting classes in the 2023 cycle thanks to talents like cornerback Jonas Duclona. The three-star prospect out of Florida’s Naples High School jumped on Cincinnati’s bandwagon on June 6 remaining solid throughout despite uncertain times along the recruiting trail. The pledge will shine through this weekend when he visits for the Navy showdown.

Duclona spoke about his growing bond with Cincinnati’s staff.

“It is really good,” Duclona said. “We have a tight connection. I feel like we are in a comfortable position where I can go up there and hopefully play during my first season.”

The early enrollee shared what he wants to see and do while hanging around Nippert Stadium over the weekend.

“I want to see them dominate,” Duclona stated. “We just need to keep the same momentum going through to the end of the game.”

For the Cincinnati fans, not only is Duclona “locked in with Cincinnati”, but he has also not been fielding calls from interested college football programs.

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Shouldn't be a surprise for anyone who's kept up with our weekly posts about Pro Football Focus' individual grades. But Dontay Corleone was recognized by PFF:
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Our weekly opponent Q&A. This one is with Rivals' site covering Navy, TheMidReport.com and publisher Mike James:

Wanted to give an update on Winton Wood’s DB Cam Calhoun.

The three star prospect just picked up a Michigan offer and sources close to his recruitment say Kentucky is on hot pursuit.

The Warriors are a top contender to win another Division 2 state championship this season.

It will be interesting to see how/if Calhoun plans visits in the coming months. He has been rather quiet regarding his Cincinnati commitment and while I think the Bearcats are in good position, Calhoun could be a flip candidate.

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Guys, I caught up with one of UC's recent visitors, Malachi Moreno, who was on campus for the Bearcats' homecoming against USF last month.
Moreno's recruiting profile has really gone up of late. I'll be surprised if he doesn't get to four-star status. This kid is good. He's got seven offers, including from UC. Indiana, Iowa and Ohio State are the most recent offers here.

It's obviously early and UC is limited on the contact it can have because Moreno is a sophomore. But he told me he really liked visiting practice and how coach Wes Miller was talking to him and making sure he and his dad were involved in what was going on, before and after practice. I don't mean they were literally practicing, I mean, he wanted them to feel welcomed and know what was going on. Moreno said he really appreciated that. He told me assistant coach Andre Morgan has been in contact for more than a year now, so there's some familiarity built, too. Moreno just had good things to say about the coaches, how he loves how they want to win, but take care of those around them.

I didn't realize Moreno also visited Xavier the next day after the UC visit. Musketeers have not offered, but he got to watch practice with them, too. Another case of the coaches keeping in contact throughout the visit. Moreno said at least one coach came up during practice to talk throughout.

The most recent visit was a few weeks ago at Indiana for its Hoosier Hysteria event, what used to be Midnight Madness. "I love Indiana," is the first thing Moreno told me. And again, this is the head coach getting involved. Mike Woodson is the main guy here. Hard to gather a ton of who Moreno likes, but he did get more excited talking about Indiana, so if there's any school that has a slight edge, I think it's IU. Moreno also visited Purdue and Iowa in September, Ohio State in November.

Still early here, but I do think UC is in a good spot, getting Moreno on campus so early. Interesting to see if he takes any in-campus visits. I doubt he goes far, which means there's a good chance he could get to UC, which is about an hour, maybe hour and a half away.

Full story coming.

The 2024, four-star WR out of Oak Ridge (Tenn.) has Cincinnati among his Top 8

Hey all, just following up the INsider I had last week on O'Neil. UC offered a few weeks ago: