For best interior lineman (offense and defense). Here's the release from the Football Writers' Association:

The Football Writers Association of America has announced the preseason watch list for the 2024 Outland Trophy, recognizing 75 returning standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division I FBS conferences and independents. The 2024 season will close with the award's 79th winner being feted in Omaha and the watch list offers a talented field of players alongside one returning FWAA All-American.

The recipient of the 2024 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN on Dec. 12, 2024. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 22, 2025.

Howard Cross III of Notre Dame, a two-time FWAA All-American at defensive tackle, is the lone returning All-American on the preseason watch list. Notre Dame was 26th nationally at stopping the run last season giving up only 119.0 rushing yards per game with Cross in the middle. None of last year’s Outland Trophy semifinalists return this season.

Another Bearcat on an award list on Tuesday, as DL Dontay Corelone named to the Nagurski Watch List. Here's the release from the award:

The Football Writers Association of America released its 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List today, selecting 75 defensive standouts from 56 schools in nine Division I FBS conferences plus Independents as contenders for the national defensive player of the year.

The watch list roster includes last year’s winner, Xavier Watts of Notre Dame, plus five other players returning from last season’s FWAA All-America team. Two of the top three tacklers from last season, both All-Americans, are back in the mix along with three of the top five interception leaders and six secondary players who had at least five interceptions last year.

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2024 trophy on Nov. 20 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 9 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.

Watts, who tied for the national lead with seven interceptions in 2023 as a first-team All-America safety, headlines the All-Americans as the returning honoree. Georgia safety Malaki Starks, a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist last season, is also back from the first team following a season where he was Georgia’s fourth-leading tackler and had seven PBU’s. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins, third in the nation in tackles per game at 12.2, was also on the first team last season.

Pre-season awards are coming out this week. First up is RB Corey Kiner, on the Maxwell list. Here's the release from UC:

University of Cincinnati senior running back Corey Kiner was one of 80 players selected to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.

Kiner is the first Bearcat to earn a spot on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list since Desmond Ridder in 2021.

Kiner rushed for 1,047 yards and five touchdowns last season, posting the 20th 1,000-yard rushing season in program history. He had six 100-yard rushing performances, including a high of 153 in the win against Pitt. Kiner averaged 87.3 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked eighth in the conference.

The Cincinnati native will have the opportunity to run behind his entire starting offense line from a year ago, as all five starters from 2023 are back for this season. That makes UC one of two teams in the Big 12 to return a 1,000-yard rusher and its entire starting offensive line, with Oklahoma State being the other.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winners of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 14, 2024 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

MASSIVE get for the Bearcats and much-needed in the 2025 class. Got wind of this earlier this afternoon that UC was looking like the pick. More to come.

Via our friend Ryan O'Bleness, Rivals' northeast recruiting analyst:

Word has been tricking out this afternoon, but I'm told that there are no plans right now to renew the Victory Bell on an annual basis after the 2026 game at Paycor Stadium. The game will be played in Oxford in September:
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Hey guys, just following up my previous INsider, but here's the full story on Mingo. Of his offers, UC seems to be in best shape. USC and Michigan State are heavy in contact, but interestingly, neither have offered yet:

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Guys, I just got off the phone with New Hampton Prep (NH) four-star guard Keyshaun Tillery. He's been one who UC has been consistently going after in recent months and continues to do that.
Login to view embedded media I know a few Bearcats coaches were on hand at Peach Jam last week and watched a few of Tillery's games. Right now, he plans to officially visit UC on Sept. 13. And I think the Bearcats are in an excellent spot. Tillery said he talks primarily with assistant coach Andre Morgan and has talked with coach Wes Miller a lot. He called them "genuine" and said he likes how they give him not only complements on his game, but critique as well. Basically, he likes how they're not blowing smoke when they talk to him.

Tillery also has official visits planned to Wake Forest (Sept. 6), Ohio State (Sept. 20) and Villanova (Sept. 27). I asked him about all three and he told me he likes Steve Forbes, likes the success the Deacons have had with guards. But the most interesting thing is when I asked about Ohio State, twice he told me that the Buckeyes "do it like Cincinnati does" or something very similar. Like, he said Ohio State coaches give him critiques like UC coaches and how they talk to him is similar to UC. With Villanova, he likes the history with guards and briefly said he likes that coach Kyle Neptune has reached out.

It's too early to say who a leader is. But I know UC really likes Tillery and sources told me they're excited to get him on campus. I don't think he's the top guard they're going after, but they'd take him. Tillery also insists that he hasn't narrowed his list but that "it'll be soon." Maybe someone can sneak in here, but I think it's these four. And again, with an official visit set, based on what he told me, the Bearcats have a GREAT shot here.

Full story coming as well as any other info when available.

After a 3-9 season, I don't have to remind you that the Bearcats have been pretty underwhelming in recruiting. Rivals' Adam Gorney looks at Satterfield and other coaches whose seats could be getting warm if they don't turn it around in recruiting:

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Guys, I just got off the phone with a fairly recent UC offer and target, five-star 2026 point guard Dylan Mingo. The Bearcats offered him a scholarship on June 24. They join a dozen others, like Texas A&M, Missouri, USC, Virginia Tech, Washington and Oklahoma State.
Login to view embedded media Mingo just got back from Peach Jam, where he played with PSA. No offers from there and no trims to his list, but he's got a ton of interest. I should also mention that Mingo has an older brother, 2025 four-star guard Kayden Mingo. But they play the same position, so it'd be tough to see them at the same school. Still, Dylan said if the situation works out for both to play together, he'd love it, but "I want a school to recruit him for him, and recruit me for me." So, don't think of them as a package deal. They don't have a ton of the same offers and the Bearcats have not offered Kayden.

With UC, Dylan told me he's mostly talked to coach Wes Miller. And that's significant because Dylan told me Miller is one of the only head coaches that he mainly talks to and that he likes how "welcoming" Miller is. Dylan also told me that he believes Miller is "trying to get ahead of the curve," which he likes. But overall, Dylan has not been to UC yet, so he doesn't know a ton. He does like the idea of playing in the Big 12, which is one reason UC can recruit with anyone for top basketball talent.

I asked about USC, since he told our friend Rob Cassidy he's heard a lot from coach Eric Musselman, but he didn't say a ton there. The one Dylan talked about was Michigan State, but he told me he noticed at Peach Jam, Auburn, Notre Dame and Penn State had coaches at each of his games.

So, it's early here. Mingo has no visits planned coming up, but he'll be setting those soon. UC is trying to get him to come for one of the early season football games. So, we'll see.

Full story coming.

Release from UC on former Bearcats who will be participating in the Olympics in Paris:

Four former University of Cincinnati standouts, Jordan Thompson, Annette Echikunwoke, Vanessa Gilles and Chris Borzor, and two current Bearcats, Naquille Harris and Ramez Diaa, are set to participate in the 2024 Olympics, taking place this week in Paris, France.

Additionally, University of Cincinnati alum and James P. Kelly Hall of Famer Lewis Johnson will be front and center at the Paris Olympics, serving as a track and field reporter for NBC. Johnson will be reporting on his 13th Olympics. He graduated from UC in 1986 and finished eighth at the 1987 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 800-meter run with a school-record time of 1:47.00 that still stands today. The former walk-on became a two-time time team captain and competed in a pair of U.S. Olympic Trials.

The opening ceremony takes place on Friday, July 26 with the games running through Sunday, Aug. 11.

For more information on each athlete, see the individual capsules below (qualifying country and event adjacent to each name).

ANNETTE ECHIKUNWOKE - USA (HAMMER THROW)

Echikunwoke won the hammer throw with a season-best toss of 74.68m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. It marked Echikunwoke's second time qualifying for the Olympics, but it will be her first time competing, and her first time representing Team USA.

She is one of the most decorated female athletes in UC history. She won the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships national title in the weight throw and remains the school record holder in four of the five throwing events she competed in at UC. She was a seven-time AAC Champion and a four-time All-America First Team honoree.

HAMMER THROW OLYMPIC SCHEDULE

• August 4 – Qualifying Round (4:20 a.m. ET)
• August 6 – Finals (1:55 p.m. ET)

JORDAN THOMPSON - USA (VOLLEYBALL)

Thompson has been tabbed to her second consecutive Olympic roster. She was part of the 2020 U.S. team that won the gold medal in Tokyo, becoming the sixth Bearcat to earn a gold medal.

Indoor volleyball competition at the 2024 Olympic Games will be held at the South Paris Arena, located about nine miles south of the Olympic village.

Thompson played for the University of Cincinnati from 2015-2019. She earned the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year accolade in 2015 and followed that up as a three-time unanimous AAC Player of the Year in 2016, 2018 and 2019. She was the first volleyball player in AAC history to earn unanimous honors and receive the award three times.

TEAM USA VOLLEYBALL POOL A SCHEDULE

• July 29 – vs. China (11a.m. ET)
• July 31 – vs. Serbia (11 a.m. ET)
• August 4 – vs. France (7 a.m. ET)

VANESSA GILLES - CANADA (SOCCER)

Gilles, a center back with the national team, is one of the most decorated players in UC women's soccer history. She is heading back to the Olympics, in search of another gold medal. Canada will compete in Group A of the tournament, along with host nation France, Colombia and New Zealand.

Gilles played for the Bearcats from 2014-17. She scored 17 goals in 82 matches and earned all-conference honors in all four years in Clifton. The 2017 American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year plays professionally with Lyon.

TEAM CANADA GROUP A SCHEDULE

• July 25th – vs. New Zealand (11 a.m. ET)
• July 28th – vs. France (3 p.m. ET)
• July 31st – vs. Colombia (3 p.m. ET)

NAQUILLE HARRIS - ST. KITTS & NEVIS (100M)

Graduate student Naquille Harris will compete in a universality spot for St. Kitts & Nevis. Universality places are eligibility spots granted to National Olympic Committees (NOC) without any qualified athletes, allowing them to participate in the Games. Athletes who receive these spots will first compete in the Preliminaries to qualify for the next round.

Harris, the school record holder in the 60m, is coming off an impressive senior season for the Bearcats. He recorded a 10.18 time in the 100m this past season, placing him as the second-fastest in school history, just behind Chris Borzor's time of 10.15 in 2022. He is a two-time NCAA First Round qualifier and two-time AAC All-Conference selection.

100m SCHEDULE

• August 3 – Preliminaries (4:35 a.m. ET)
• August 3 – Round 1 (5:45 a.m. ET)
• August 4 – Semifinals (2 p.m. ET)
• August 5 – Finals (3:50 p.m. ET)

CHRIS BORZOR - REPUBLIC OF HAITI (100M)

Borzor (2018-21) will compete in a universality spot for the Republic of Haiti. Universality places are eligibility spots granted to National Olympic Committees (NOC) without any qualified athletes, allowing them to participate in the Games. Athletes who receive these spots will first compete in the Preliminaries to qualify for the next round.

Brozor broke school records and collected many accolades during his time at Cincinnati. He still holds two outdoor school records in the 100m and 200m. He is currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Bearcats.

Borzor is the Haitian national record holder in the 100m. He ran a blistering time of 10.14 at the NACAC New Life Invitational in Nassau, Bahamas.

100m SCHEDULE

• August 3 – Preliminaries (4:35 a.m. ET)
• August 3 – Round 1 (5:45 a.m. ET)
• August 4 – Semifinals (2 p.m. ET)
• August 5 – Finals (3:50 p.m. ET)

RAMEZ DIAA

Incoming freshman diver Ramez Diaa will represent Team Egypt in the 10-meter platform dive. He is one of 26 competitors in the platform event.

The preliminary round will be held at 4 a.m. ET on August 9 in the Aquatics Centre.

10M DIVE SCHEDULE

• August 9 – 4 a.m. ET (Preliminary)
• August 10 – 4 a.m. ET (Semifinal)
• August 10 – 9 a.m. ET (Finals)

Just a heads up, UC kicks off fall camp a week from tomorrow (July 31) with three days of practice at Nippert Stadium. Then, it's off to Camp Higher Ground, per tradition, to finish out rest of camp. Could change, but only one other practice slated to be at Nippert.

Hey guys, following up my previous INsider on Busch. I think Louisville is the favorite for now, but he has in his head he wants to be high SEC. We'll see. Only SEC offer right now is Kentucky and I don't think he's a huge fan, though he did talk about the facilities. We'll see if he gets to one of UC's first few games for a visit. That could change his stance on the Bearcats:

Coming on Saturday. If Tennessee truly wants him, I think he's a lock there. But I don't think that's the case. So, I think this one is between UC and Indiana, with hometown Maryland as the darkhorse. Gut tells me he's leaning Indiana right now, from when I've talked to him before.
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Following up previous INsider. Bearcats getting a visit from Love Aug. 31.

UC target has the Bearcats in his top group. I'm told UC staff trying to set up an official visit:
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Guys, I caught up with another recent Bearcats football offer, 2026 linebacker Karsten Busch from St. X in Louisville. Another one who got back to me after I reached out last week.
Login to view embedded media Assistant coach Cortney Braswell is the primary recruiter here and who made the offer. And so far, it seems like they have a good relationship. I think Busch thought it was odd how Braswell initiated the conversation. Busch told me Braswell just started texting him, they talked and THEN Braswell talked to Busch's coach. Or at least, that's what Busch thinks. Anyway, I think they're further along now, but then Busch told me, "I don't really know that much," about UC.

For much of the interview, I though Busch was a Louisville lean. He talked about visiting a ton, going to multiple games last season including against Kentucky and saying the game "didn't end the way we wanted." But then he also talked about Kentucky and how great the facilities are there.

I didn't go in-depth, because there's no scholarship offer, but he started off talking about Alabama, how he wants to go back after he camped there. And he finished our talk by telling me, "My main goal is to go high SEC, because I feel like I’m an SEC player." So, if no name-school SEC teams offer, UC has as good a shot as any. I expect Busch to visit for one of the first couple of home games. But if an Ole Miss/Mississippi State/Missouri school offer, the way he talks, he's a lock there.

I do think it's good the Bearcats are trying to get in early here. From what I've seen, I think Busch is a high-three-star type of player. And that's one that could get a bigger SEC offer, but might not.

Full story coming.

Lots of changes here, as he's changed EYBL teams and will change high schools, as announced yesterday. Here's the story I did after interviewing Jones' dad:

Guys, his profile is now updated, but four-star forward Davion Hannah will officially visit UC, among a ton of other OVs this fall:

Alabama: 8/31
Louisville: 9/7
Wisconsin: 9/14
Ohio State: 9/20
Michigan State: 9/27
NC State: 10/5
Cincinnati: 10/12
Pitt: 10/19
Xavier: TBD

Click to expand...

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Guys, my aim is still to catch up with UC's basketball targets this month, but I heard back from one of UC's recent offers, 2026 LB Mason Love. I reached out to him when the Bearcats offered last week and he got back to me.
Login to view embedded media Love said he's up to seven offers, but UC is by far his most prominent. He also has offers from East Carolina, Charlotte, Marshall, UMASS, Arkansas State and Central Michigan.Love hasn't visited Cincinnati yet, but said he plans to be at the Bearcats' season-opener on Aug. 31.

The main reason for Love's interest right now is assistant coach Cortney Braswell, who also made the offer. He also talks a lot with staffer Cass Simmons, UC's director of recruiting strategy. Love told me he and Braswell communicate almost daily and it's usually not even about football. That seems to always be a sticking point with recruits I talk with and seems to be the case again here. "I just think he cares about the people he’s in touch with a lot," Love told me.

I think UC is smart to offer here because they've set the gauge. Love told me he wants to "prove" why the Bearcats offered him. East Carolina sounds like they've also been on him strong and reaches out almost daily. But UC is the barometer, which bodes well.

ECU was the last place Love visited, for the spring game. The only other visit he mentioned coming up was Coastal Carolina, likely for that season-opener on Sept. 7. I'll try to catch up with Love and others after that Towson game Aug. 31.

Full story coming.