NOTE: Please do not copy/paste or summarize any portion of this post to other Web sites or message boards, as it is a direct violation of copyright laws and could result in the termination of your Rivals.com subscription per our terms of service. Thank you.
Guys, I just got off the phone with a guy who's become one of UC's bigger targets in the 2021 class, three-star James Graham. I know 247 recently bumped him to four stars and our Eric Bossi raved about seeing him a few weeks ago, so he could be a contender for the next Rivals150.
So with UC, I know assistant coach Sean Dwyer has made Graham one of his top priorities. And Graham said he likes the reputation that the Bearcats have. He told me, "The thing I like is Cincinnati has that swag, that underdog mentality." He hasn't seen UC, but said he likes what he's seen virtually. But most of what he's basing his thoughts on are from talking to the coaches and watching games on TV.
With coach John Brannen, Graham said he loves that he's "a family man" and takes care of his players. Graham likes the idea of his coach having his back and with everything going on, that's what a lot of guys are especially looking for. He told me he talks with Dwyer and Brannen "a ton" which is a good sign at this point.
The main thing Graham stressed to me is that he's committing to a coach. He cited a quote he'd heard from Dwayne Wade saying he committed to Tom Crean at Marquette. But when I asked which schools he's heard most from and who's recruiting him hard, Graham told me Vanderbilt, Florida State and Maryland. He backtracked to add UC in there when I asked about the Bearcats, but it's clear UC has some work to do.
The good thing is that Graham hasn't really visited anywhere, like most other recruits. He talked about camping last summer at Wisconsin and DePaul, seeing Marquette and Milwaukee, but those were all last year. And I don't think they're really in the running. But the main thing he talked about with the three mentioned above are the coaches, their experience, how they get guys to the league. I think Brannen is gaining a good reputation with guys, but he's still unproven in a lot of regards. The main thing will be getting Graham to visit at some point. And the longer this goes, the better UC's chances are.
Full story coming.
Guys, I just got off the phone with a guy who's become one of UC's bigger targets in the 2021 class, three-star James Graham. I know 247 recently bumped him to four stars and our Eric Bossi raved about seeing him a few weeks ago, so he could be a contender for the next Rivals150.
So with UC, I know assistant coach Sean Dwyer has made Graham one of his top priorities. And Graham said he likes the reputation that the Bearcats have. He told me, "The thing I like is Cincinnati has that swag, that underdog mentality." He hasn't seen UC, but said he likes what he's seen virtually. But most of what he's basing his thoughts on are from talking to the coaches and watching games on TV.
With coach John Brannen, Graham said he loves that he's "a family man" and takes care of his players. Graham likes the idea of his coach having his back and with everything going on, that's what a lot of guys are especially looking for. He told me he talks with Dwyer and Brannen "a ton" which is a good sign at this point.
The main thing Graham stressed to me is that he's committing to a coach. He cited a quote he'd heard from Dwayne Wade saying he committed to Tom Crean at Marquette. But when I asked which schools he's heard most from and who's recruiting him hard, Graham told me Vanderbilt, Florida State and Maryland. He backtracked to add UC in there when I asked about the Bearcats, but it's clear UC has some work to do.
The good thing is that Graham hasn't really visited anywhere, like most other recruits. He talked about camping last summer at Wisconsin and DePaul, seeing Marquette and Milwaukee, but those were all last year. And I don't think they're really in the running. But the main thing he talked about with the three mentioned above are the coaches, their experience, how they get guys to the league. I think Brannen is gaining a good reputation with guys, but he's still unproven in a lot of regards. The main thing will be getting Graham to visit at some point. And the longer this goes, the better UC's chances are.
Full story coming.
