Cincinnati Bearcats Football Recruiting: Grading Every Commitment

Even with the decision on National Signing Day of running back Dennis Norfleet to go to Michigan, Cincinnati still put together a deep and talented recruiting class.

Norfleet was by far the most talented player in the class, but Cincinnati brought in a lot of talent at many different positions.

Butch Jones had a chance to recruit for an entire season, and that paid big dividends for Cincinnati. 

There are players who are going to contribute immediately and those who will have to wait their turn.

Here are grades for all of the Cincinnati commitments.

This name may sound familiar to Bearcats fans, as Dylan Combs is the son of Cincinnati secondary coach and assistant head coach Kerry Combs.

He is the lowest rated of any Bearcat according to Scout.com. and at only 5'9" and 150 pounds, he is very undersized even for a cornerback.

One thing is certain: He will work his tail off at Cincinnati and do everything he can to get on the field.

Seeing that happen seems unlikely for this 2-star recruit.

Overall grade: D

Joey Jones is one of many players Cincinnati signed from the state of Florida.

He is from the always talented South Dade Senior High School in Miami.

Jones is a 2-star recruit who was not highly touted and had offers from Buffalo and Pittsburgh. He is small for an outside linebacker at 6'0" and 190 pounds.

He will clearly need to put some weight on, and a redshirt could be in his future.

Overall grade: D

Frank Bruscianelli is one of the many linebackers in the Cincinnati recruiting class.

The native of Illinois is 6'0" and 220 pounds, which may make him more suited for the middle linebacker position if he can put on a few more pounds. 

He is another of the 2-star recruits for Cincinnati, according to Scout.com, and will likely have trouble getting on the field for any more than special teams, particularly in the first few years.

He is likely to redshirt next season, with much more talented linebackers coming in next year.

Overall grade: D

Zach Edwards is a local kid from Middletown High School near Cincinnati.

He is rated the No. 235 wide receiver according to Scout.com, and at 6'1" and 170 pounds, he will need to put on a little weight.

He is a 2-star recruit who will likely be redshirted next season, as Cincinnati is loaded at the receiver position.

Overall grade: D

Corey Griffin is another recruit from the Miami area, and a linebacker at that.

He is a 2-star whose only other offer was from Ball State, but has the size at 6'2" and 210 pounds.

The outside linebacker position may suit him well, but he is likely another candidate who will be redshirted next season.

Overall grade: D

Alex Dale is an athlete out of Memphis who can play both sides of the ball.

He is being recruited to play either running back or defensive back, but with the depth Cincinnati has at running back, he will likely find himself on the defensive side of the ball for the Bearcats.

Dale is rated the No. 145 cornerback according to Scout.com, and had offers from Mississippi and Western Kentucky.

He is 5'10" and 175 pounds with a chance to make a contribution down the road for Cincinnati.

Overall grade: D+

This middle linebacker out of Jacksonville, Fla. is one of five linebackers in this years class.

Ey'Shawn McClain chose Cincinnati over Rutgers, West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina.

McClain is 6'1" and 215 pounds. He has a chance to be a player down the road for Cincinnati, but not in the next few years.

Overall grade: D+

Errol Clark is another linebacker from Miami. He is the fifth and final linebacker in the 2012 class and is probably the most talented of them all.

He is also the final 2-star recruit of the class.

While he may not play right away, he has a chance to contribute and possibly be a starter a few years down the road for the Bearcats.

Overall grade: C-

Jeremy Graves is another 3-star wide receiver who is ranked No. 146 in the country at his position.

He will certainly be redshirted with an opportunity for some serious playing time down the road.

His 6'2", 190-pound frame certainly gives him the size to be successful at the next level.

He chose Cincinnati over Buffalo.

Overall grade: C

This junior college running back is a 3-star recruit who could battle for immediate playing time because of his age and experience.

He is 5'10" and 200 pounds and chose Cincinnati over Iowa and Georgia.

The departure of Isaiah Pead leaves Harris as one of five or six guys with a chance to carry the load for Cincinnati.

Overall grade: C

Shakim Alonzo is rated the No. 121 wide receiver according to Scout.com and is a 3-star recruit.

He is from the Pittsburgh area and chose Cincinnati over Wisconsin, Purdue, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, among others.

Alonzo joins a talented group of receivers already at Cincinnati and a solid group coming in, so a redshirt is likely.

He will, however, contribute down the road and possibly develop into a starter at some point.

Overall grade: C

Like Alex Dale, Marcus Foster is an athlete who can play multiple positions, but is almost certain to be a safety for Cincinnati next season.

He is ranked the No. 110 safety and is a 3-star recruit according to Scout.com.

Safety is one position where Cincinnati could use some immediate help, and Foster may be able to see some playing time next season for Cincinnati.

Overall grade: C+

Kevin Brown is the latest in a pipeline of recruits from Indianapolis, Ind. and should be able to battle with Foster for playing time at the safety position.

He is ranked the No. 106 safety and is another 3-star recruit.

At 6'1" and 190 pounds, it wouldn't hurt Brown to gain a few pounds, but Cincinnati is looking for some depth at safety, and he will provide just that.

Brown chose Cincinnati over Indiana and Air Force, among others.

Overall grade: C+

Deyshawn Bond is also from Indianapolis, Ind. and is rated the No. 84 offensive guard in the class and a 3-star recruit overall.

He is 6'3" and 265 pounds, so putting on a few more pounds would be beneficial.

Bond will likely redshirt, but has a chance to develop into a contributor in a few years.

Overall grade: C+

Ryan Leahy is a local kid from LaSalle High School.

He is a 6'6" and 255-pound pass-rushing defensive end who has a chance to be a pretty good one at Cincinnati.

He picked the Bearcats over Illinois, North Carolina State and West Virginia and is rated the No. 109 defensive end.

While he will not see much playing time as a freshman, he could contribute in 2013.

Overall grade: B-

Drake Bruns is another local kid from across the river in Kentucky.

He is rated the No. 96 cornerback in the class.

Cincinnati has some depth at that position, and the 6'0" 185-pound Bruns will have to wait his turn, but is likely to contribute down the road.

Overall grade: B-

Kyle Williamson is another local kid who chose Cincinnati over Illinois and Pittsburgh.

He is a 3-star recruit who is rated the No. 86 offensive tackle in the class, and at 6'5" and 275 pounds, he has the necessary size.

After a likely redshirt next season, Williamson will have a chance to contribute in 2013 and possibly start a few years down the road.

Overall grade: B-

Hailing from Indianapolis, Ind., Jonathan Burt is a 6'3" and 255-pound pass-rushing defensive end. 

He is ranked the No. 96 overall defensive end in the class.

This 3-star recruit chose Cincinnati over Indiana and Minnesota.

He will battle with Leahy for playing time a few years from now.

Overall grade: B-

Leviticus Payne is tiny, but very talented.

The 5'9" 175 pound cornerback is a 3-star recruit from Michigan with a lot of talent.

He is ranked the No. 78 cornerback in the country and chose Cincinnati over Iowa.

Payne will not play right away, but could be a starter in a few years.

Overall grade: B

The safety from Colerain High School in Cincinnati is ranked No. 76 overall at his position.

He will be in the mix with the two other safety recruits to earn immediate playing time next year.

Jones has 4.5 40-speed and is 6'1" and 195 pounds, which will suit him more for the free safety position.

Overall grade: B

Josh Posley is another pass-rushing defensive end from Indianapolis, Ind.

He is ranked the No. 62 defensive end in the country and is 6'1" and already 230 pounds, giving him size to play immediately. 

Posley chose Cincinnati over Vanderbilt.

Look for him to be a starter at some point in the future.

Overall grade: B

Trenton Norvell from Daytona Beach, Fla. is 6'5" and 205 pounds, making him the perfect size to play collegiately.

He is rated the No. 75 quarterback in the class.

He will certainly be reshirted with no chance to play in 2012 and will be in a battle with more highly-touted recruits for playing time.

Norvell chose Cincinnati over South Florida, and while he is talented, will have trouble seeing significant playing time at Cincinnati.

Overall grade: B

E.J. Junior played mostly running back in high school, but is being recruited as a fullback and is one of the top 10 in the nation at that position.

Even though Cincinnati does not use a fullback very often, the local kid from Middletown High School, Junior, has a chance to get on the field immediately.

He is 6'0" and 205 pounds, which makes him a perfect choice for goal-line situations, something Cincinnati has not had in a few years. 

Overall grade: B+

DeShawn Dowdy is rated the No. 52 outside linebacker in the nation, but will likely be playing tight end for Cincinnati next season.

He is 6'4" and 222 pounds, which makes him a large target.

The Akron, Ohio native chose Cincinnati over Maryland, Iowa State and West Virginia.

There are some openings at the tight end spot, and Dowdy could be No. 3 on the depth chart next season with a chance to be the starter by his junior year.

Overall grade: B+

Tion Green was a running back and cornerback in high school, but will probably be more fitted for cornerback at Cincinnati.

He is rated the No. 35 cornerback in the 2012 recruiting class, and at 6'0" and 197 pounds, he has good size for a corner.

Green is a Florida kid who will be a a contributor down the road for Cincinnati and possibly a starter a few years from now.

Overall grade: B+

Alex Pace is a defensive tackle from Cleveland, Ohio.

He is rated the No. 43 player overall at his position and had offers from many big-name schools, including Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Illinois, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, among others.

Cincinnati lost both of their defensive tackles and has a huge void to fill.

Pace could step in and be No. 2 on the depth chart right away before starting as a sophomore.

Overall grade: A-

Caleb Stacy is a local kid who had originally committed to Michigan before switching to Cincinnati in January.

He is ranked the No. 65 offensive tackle in the class and has the talent to be a two or three-year starter at Cincinnati.

Whether or not he redshirts next season will come down to how well he plays in fall practice, but there is a chance he will contribute immediately.

Stacy was a big get for Butch Jones at the end of the recruiting period.

Overall grade: A-

Bennie Coney has a chance to be a future star for Cincinnati.

He will have to wait for at least two years, as Munchie Legaux is fully entrenched as the starter for the next two years.

Coney is rated the No. 35 quarterback overall, and at 6'2" and 210 pounds, he has the mobility to throw on the run and beat opponents with his legs or arm.

The dual-threat quarterback had offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan State, South Florida and others.

He will likely redshirt next season and will have a chance to be a three-year starter for Cincinnati.

Overall grade: A-

Nathan Cole is the highest rated wide receiver in the Cincinnati class and could be a backup receiver as early as next season.

He is a few years away from being a starter, but is one of the biggest recruits in the class. 

Cole is rated the No. 113 wide receiver in the country, and at 6'2" and 195 pounds, he has everything.

The receiver chose Cincinnati over Alabama, Stanford, Tennessee, Kentucky and many others.

This is one of the prized recruits in Butch Jones' class.

Overall grade: A

Deionte Buckley is the highest rated of any of the Cincinnati recruits.

He is a 5'9" running back from Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Ind.

Buckley is rated the No. 55 running back overall and will benefit from top recruit Dennis Norfleet deciding to go to Michigan.

He has a chance to compete for the starting job right away for the Bearcats.

Overall grade: A