Judging by the number of wide receivers in Butch Jones’ first recruiting class, it is safe to say Cincinnati will be throwing the ball around a little bit next season.
The Bearcats already have six receivers committed in the class of 2011, three of whom are ranked in the top 100 in the country, according to Rivals.com.
The Bearcats will have to replace three of their top four receivers, including Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton and Marcus Barnett.
D.J. Woods will be back for his senior season and last year’s top two recruits, JUCO Kenbrell Thompkins and freshman Dyjuan Lewis, will be eligible this season after being forced to sit out 2010. Freshmen Anthony McClung and Munchie Legeaux, who saw action last season due to the injuries suffered at wide receiver, also return.
While some of these receivers will certainly be redshirted next season, a few will have a chance to make an impact, including Shaquille Washington, Alex Chisum and Chris Moore.
Washington is a a playmaker from northern Ohio and at 5’8″ and 147 pounds, he is as elusive as anybody in the Bearcats class.
Chisum is a Georgia kid who chose Cincinnati over SEC schools. Chisum has a chance to see immediate playing time due to the departure of Armon Binns. He is known as an excellent route runner with great hands who could be a threat for Cincinnati down the stretch.
Moore comes to Cincinnati via Tampa, Florida and like most athletes from the Sunshine State he can run. With 4.5 forty speed, the Bearcats will certainly try to use him for the years to come and Moore could see instant action in 2011.
Rounding out the class for the Bearcats is a local kid, Rodriguez Coleman out of LaSalle High School in Cincinnati. Fellow three-star recruit Damon Julian is a junior college transfer who could see immediate playing time with his 6’3″ and 215 pound frame.
Perhaps the least touted recruit in the class is Max Morrison. Morrison is an Ohio kid who put up astronomical numbers at the high school level. He from a huge football family. Morrison’s grandfather played in the NFL for 14 years and his uncle is former Michigan head coach Gary Moeller. He could be a hidden gem in the Bearcats recruiting class.
When these six receivers reach Clifton this summer, Cincinnati could have a group of a dozen vying for playing time. While they won’t all see the field this season, Butch Jones and his staff are building quite a stable of wide receivers who will benefit the Bearcats for years to come.
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