UC had to wait til the very end, but now 9 straight years a Bearcat has been taken in the NFL Draft.

I think I said it before in an earlier INsider, but this one is between UC and Virginia Tech. I think the Hokies are the slight leader, but telling that he set the UC official right after he visited for the spring game.

Sad news about a former Bearcat. He was 28. Release from UC:

Former Cincinnati football team captain and NFL veteran Korey Cunningham passed away earlier this week at the age of 28.

The Montevallo, Ala. native was a member of the Bearcats football program from 2013 to 2017, starting his final two years on the offensive line. In addition to serving as a team captain, he collected All-AAC Second Team accolades in 2017 and played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl postseason all-star game.

Cunningham was a seventh-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He played 31 games over five seasons in the NFL with the Cardinals, New England Patriots and the New York Giants.

He graduated from UC in 2017, earning a degree in health education with a concentration in exercise fitness.

Statement from Cincinnati Athletics and Bearcats Football

The Cincinnati Athletics Department and football family are heartbroken at the news of the passing of Korey Cunningham. Korey was a team captain with an incredible work ethic and an infectious personality. He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates during this time.

This kid just visited UC a few weeks ago, has an official visit for May 31 and was at the Rivals Camp Series stop in Charlotte a week and a half ago. I'm flipping his FutureCast to UC. Bearcats seem like a lock unless South Carolina comes in late. Of course, that could still happen later this fall:

Bearcats part of the Big 12/Big East Challenge next season. They'll play at Villanova on Dec. 3.
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Hey guys, I caught up with one of UC's visitors for the spring game, Quince Orchard (Md.) three-star CB Aydan West. He's got 19 total scholarship offers, including one from the Bearcats.
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West told me that was the first time he'd been on campus in Clifton and he loved the attention he said he got from the staff. He's talked a lot with Cass Simmons on the staff, but also with assistant coach Kerry Coombs. West told me "I get a good feeling from Coach Coombs." Specifically, he likes Coombs' personality, but also how he treats his players and the record he has of putting players in the NFL. West said he believes he'd have the opportunity to play as a freshman at UC and would get a "fair chance."

Before that visit, West said he was at SMU's spring game on April 5, but he didn't have a lot of positives to say there. He told me he didn't talk to any coaches and didn't see campus, since the game was at a nearby high school due to construction on Ford Stadium. He also visited TCU while he was in Texas and felt like he got more positives out of that visit. That's not one I'd worry about, though.

Right now, West has official visits planned May 31 at West Virginia, June 7 at Virginia, June 13 at UC and June 21 at Wake Forest. West Virginia is the one I'd watch most here. West hinted that he might decide even before he takes those visits, in the next month or so. I think it's between the first three, but in that order. So UC has some ground to make up here. But it will be interesting to see if he does take any of those official visits. Definitely will be one to the program he chooses.

Full story coming.

Story up shortly, but good get from nearby Newnurgh:
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I made the joke on X that UC and the Fletchers is becoming Tennessee and the Colquits. Mason's younger brother Max announced over the weekend he's transferring to UC. Blurb below from Rivals:

A day after entering the transfer portal, Arkansas punter Max Fletcher has committed to Cincinnati.

A 6-foot-5, 174-pound sophomore from Melbourne, Australia, Fletcher had a breakout season in the SEC last year after he punted 59 times for an SEC-leading 2,770 yards (46.9 average).

He was named All-SEC Second Team after pinning a fourth-best 19 punts inside the 20-yard line and was the first Arkansas punter to receive All-SEC recognition since Dylan Breeding in 2012.
https://cincinnati.rivals.com/news/transfer-portal-live-latest-news-during-spring-open-period

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Guys, I caught up with one of UC's targets and recent visitors, Downers Grove North (Ill.) 2026 QB Owen Lansu. He just visited last Friday for spring practice.
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Lansu currently has four offers: UC, Northwestern, Toledo and Miami (OH). He told me he hasn't really personally thrown for many schools yet. And something to really take note, he said he understands most schools want to see a QB throw live before they offer. Lansu told me Pete Thomas offered him based on highlight tape and he still hasn't thrown live for him yet. But Lansu said he appreciates that Thomas is "willing to take a chance on me." That could play big dividends later when Lansu gets more offers.

The visit last week was the first time Lansu had stepped foot in Cincinnati, let alone in Clifton. But he likes the location, the new facilities and what he's seen and Thomas. Lansu told me he likes what and how Thomas teaches, how they've talked 10-12 times on the phone and how their relationship has really progressed. It sounds like early on, this is the best coaching relationship he has.

Northwestern, he has thrown for and he visited there a couple of weeks ago and got the offer. Being from suburban Chicago, Lansu said he's been pretty well versed in Northwestern. He told me he likes how the new coaching staff has adapted and taken more chances. He didn't think the past staff offered any sophomores, definitely not QBs and likes how the new staff is doing that.

No more visits right now, but next up, Lansu said he'll be at the Elite 11 in Georgia and will stop by Georgia Tech. More coming when available, but full story also coming on deck here. UC in a great spot right now, before Lansu's recruitment has really taken off.

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Hey guys, I caught up with one of UC's visitors last weekend for the spring game, Oscar Smith (Va.) three-star cornerback Jahmari DeLoatch. It was his first time in Clifton and it seems to have made a massive difference in his recruitment.
Login to view embedded media I interviewed DeLoatch last week for another story, before his UC visit, and it seemed like he was very pro Virginia Tech. I even made my FutureCast for him with the Hokies. He'd already set an official visit there, immediately after he unofficially visited VT for a spring practice. I had to get him to talk about other schools, as I always do, to get as accurate a representation of his recruitment as possible. That seems to have changed a bit.

Now, after he went to UC, DeLoatch instantly set an official visit to Clifton on June 14. DeLoatch visited with his dad and he told me they loved the campus, love how close it is to downtown and spent a lot of time down there as well. "I was kinda surprised," is what DeLoatch told me about the visit. He said he liked seeing all the construction and progress being made on campus, with the new facilities coming. The other thing DeLoatch told me is he loved, for how big UC is, how close all the buildings and everything on campus seemed. That was a BIG plus for him.

DeLoatch also really likes assistant coach Kerry Coombs and defensive coordinator Tyson Veidt. He told me he loves Coombs' history of working with players, putting guys in the NFL and also his personality and energy. "And he sugarcoats nothing," DeLoatch said. "He'll give it to you straight-forward."

On Tuesday, DeLoatch visited Vanderbilt, which was his final visit of the spring. That seems to have gone well, but he's unsure of an official visit there. That, plus how quickly he scheduled one to UC after the spring game, leads me to think this is neck and neck between UC and Virginia Tech. I'm leaving my FutureCast for now, but this one is probably 55/45 in favor of VT at this point. I think the Bearcats have vastly closed the gap here.

Official visit to Virginia Tech June 7-8, which will be his first. UC is the next weekend, followed by Wake Forest June 21. The Deacons are the darkhorse here. Odds are low, but I wouldn't rule them out, since he has an official set there.

Full story coming.

MASSIVE legislative movement this morning, as Virginia has allowed its colleges to now directly pay student-athletes for NIL:
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Remember the bathtub of Skyline at the Kelce's podcast at Fifth-Third? Apparently he lost his Super Bowl ring in it:

We already knew he was leaving UC. He announced that last month. But many thought he’d go overseas, since he can’t make money off NIL as an international player. Today, he transferred to Clemson. All I can think is he must be getting advice that the international rule won’t soon apply. For now, it does.

Sorry for the delay guys. Soccer practice for my son earlier tonight, then getting kids to bed when I got home. But Rivals reported late this afternoon that Jamille Reynolds entered his name in the transfer portal. I'll have a story up shortly.

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The only Bearcat now not to announce his intentions (going or staying) is CJ Fredrick
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Transferring from USC. Was No. 50 in 2023 Rivals150 and officially visited the Bearcats in the fall of 2022.
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Hey all, I'll be adding here, but wanted to post a list of the confirmed visitors we have for UC's spring game this weekend. Keep in mind, this lost only includes notable names with Rivals profiles. Will be updating as we confirm more names:

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Story now on the front page. Kid from Withrow who is currently the highest-ranked of UC's seven commits:

Transferring from Bradley. Full story coming:
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Good pickup for the Bearcats tonight. Not a surprise at all, as I made my FutureCast pick here last month for Jones. Just wasn't sure when he was gonna be ready to commit. Story here: