UC's 2015 class shaping up to be among highest-rated
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 11:20 p.m. EDT July 10, 2014
UC coach Tommy Tuberville wishes he had a clearer picture of the AAC's two-division split.(Photo: Enquirer file)
The Tommy Tuberville effect has taken hold in University of Cincinnati football recruiting, with the Bearcats' 2015 class tracking among the highest-rated in program history.
Tuberville, with nearly 30 years of major college coaching on his resume, has fashioned an incoming class rated No. 38 nationally by both 247Sports.com and Rivals.com and No. 48 by Scout.com.
"You're looking at a good class, but then you want to develop those guys and make them better from (ages) 18 to 22," said Steve Wiltfong, director of recruiting for 247Sports. "Tuberville has that record of being able to develop guys, and that's so important."
Fans of the Alabamas, Notre Dames and Ohio States would be mortified by a No. 38 rating, but for UC this is fairly significant. Most recruiting services have online archives dating back to the early 2000s, and UC generally has fallen outside the respective Top 50 ratings.
It was not much different before, as UC rarely made a national ripple until recently: Two BCS bowl games, 66-25 record since 2007.
The highest recruiting rating UC has drawn recently was No. 35 by Scout.com in 2012. Usually it is more like February of 2014, when Tuberville's second UC recruiting class was rated No. 60 by Scout, No. 65 by ESPN and No. 69 by both Rivals and 247Sports.
Quarterback Ross Trail of Wynne, Arkansas, is the early plum among 17 oral commitments for UC. Trail is rated a four-star recruit by both ESPN and 247Sports and a three-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Locally, UC has commitments from TE Doug Bates (Moeller High) and WR Braxton Neal (Lakota West).
Other commitments include FB Taylor Boose (Clifton, Va.); WR James Gardner (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.); DE Griffin Riggs (Auburn, Ala.); CB Joshua Norwood (Valdosta, Ga.); DE Caleb Ashworth (Dry Fork, Va.); LB Bryce Jenkinson (Greenville, Ohio); DE Marquise Copeland (Bedford, Ohio); DE Garret Jansen (Pella, Iowa); CB Jhavonte Dean (Homestead, Fla.); LB Quintin Hampton (Moultrie, Ga.); CB Antonio Howard (Miami, Fla.); DT Norman Oglesby (Indianapolis); WR/ATH Daniel Cobb (Fort Myers, Fla.); and S Malik Clements (Danville, Va.).
Tuberville formerly was head coach at Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas Tech, and most of his assistants have worked in high-major programs.
"Look at the guys on that staff, and you see guys used to recruiting at the top of college football," Wiltfong said. "That's the culture that guys like Tuberville, (Eddie) Gran, (Darin) Hinshaw and (Robert) Prunty are bringing to UC."
Gran (offensive coordinator), Hinshaw (quarterbacks/passing game) and Prunty (associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach) all have helped recruit multiple targets to UC under Tuberville, as have Bearcats assistants Blake Rolan (wide receivers), Steve Clinkscale (defensive backs) and Darren Hiller (offensive line).
Staff newcomers Hank Hughes (co-defensive coordinator/linebackers) and Jeff Koonz (safeties) were hired partially because Tuberville wanted to upgrade recruiting. Marc Nudelberg (tight ends/special teams) was promoted from graduate assistant and also has helped land some 2015 recruits.
Josh Helmholdt, Midwest analyst for Rivals.com, said UC has a good mixture of recruits from Ohio and the Southeast.
"Cincinnati has 17 commits in the 2015 class right now, which is significantly more than most of the teams ranked around them," Helmholdt said. "I do expect their ranking to stay stagnant or decline some in the coming months."
Major programs such as Missouri, Oklahoma and Michigan State trail UC in the ratings but figure to gain ground by the February signing day.
The Bearcats typically still sign a mix of three-star and two-star recruits, but there are more threes than usual this time.
"The key going forward will be keeping those prospects currently committed on board," Helmholdt said.
Quote:UC national recruiting rankings
2015 class (as of July 10)
Rivals.com: 38th
247Sports.com: 38th
Scout.com: 48th
ESPN.com: Not in Top 25 (only 25 teams listed)
2014 class (final ratings)
Scout.com: 60th
ESPN.com: 65th
Rivals.com: 69th
247Sports.com: 69th
UC's best final ratings (between 2002-2013):
Scout.com: 35th (2012)
247Sports.com: 47th (2011)
Rivals.com: 49th (2011)
ESPN.com: 63rd (2013)
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../12509969/