National Signing Day 2012: 7 Things the Cincinnati Bearcats Are Hoping For

With National Signing Day coming later this week, the Cincinnati Bearcats are still looking to sign some last-minute recruits to put the class over the top.

Butch Jones and his staff have compiled a group that could very likely be the deepest recruiting class the school has ever signed.

Even though it may not be as top-heavy as some of the other classes in past years, the amount of depth here is unmatched by any class in Cincinnati history.

That being said, here are seven things Cincinnati is hoping for on National Signing Day that will help propel its class to the next level.

Nathan Cole's Signature

According to Rivals.com, Nathan Cole is the third-highest rated player in the Cincinnati recruiting class and is one of the top 65 wide receivers in the country coming in.

He has selected Cincinnati over Alabama, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, among others.

Whether or not he is wavering on his commitment is unknown, but losing Cole would be a huge blow to the Cincinnati class.

A Top 25 Class

While a Top 25 class does not necessarily mean everything, Cincinnati has never had a recruiting class ranked that high, and getting one this year would be a nice feather in its cap.

The Bearcats have been able to accomplish so much without having great recruiting classes. Think what they could do with a few Top 25 classes.

The class is currently ranked around No. 35 by most recruiting services and will need a few bigger-name commitments to move up into the Top 25 range.

A Stud Quarterback

Cincinnati is set at starting quarterback for the next two years with Munchie Legaux headed into his junior season.

But, finding his replacement is now a must, and the Bearcats may have just found it in Bennie Coney.

Coney is rated as one of the top 35 quarterbacks in the class and had offers from many of the top programs in the country.

While they know they have him, it will take a few years to realize if he can fulfill his potential.

A Replacement for Isaiah Pead

Replacing one of the best college football players in the country will be no easy task, but Cincinnati has signed three running backs who have the ability to help fans forget about Isaiah Pead.

At the top of those is Dennis Norfleet. This small, speedy back from Detroit is the lone 4-star recruit for Cincinnati, according to Rivals.com.

Perhaps the second-best recruit in the Cincinnati class is fellow running back Deionte Buckley, who is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 34 running back.

The Bearcats also just recently received a commitment from Ti'on Green, who is also a Top 40 running back.

Hopefully, one of these three guys can help fill the void left by Pead.

Linebacker Help

Cincinnati does not necessarily need immediate linebacker help, but it will have to try and replace J.K. Schaffer.

This class already has commitments from seven linebackers. The hope is that some of them will pan out.

Among the leading contenders are two Florida natives, Kenneth Bynum out of Jacksonville and Errol Clarke from Miami.

Cincinnati will need a few of these linebackers to step up in the next few years.

A Sleeper to Emerge

Zach Collaros and many other great players to come through Cincinnati in recent years were not very highly recruited—and this year, Cincinnati will need more of that from this recruiting class.

One sleeper to look out for in this year's class is Marcus Foster from Troy, Ohio.

Foster is an athlete who could play a number of different positions at the next level. The most likely of them is safety, where many recruiting services have him slated.

With the departure of Wesley Richardson to graduation, there is a void at the safety position.

Foster could have the talent to step in and fill that void.

A Huge Last-Minute Signing

There is nothing better than signing a recruit at the last minute and stealing him from another team, particularly a rival.

That is something Cincinnati is certainly hoping for come Wednesday.

The Bearcats were already able to steal local kid Caleb Stacy from Michigan two weeks ago. Stacy is one of the top guards in the class.

Fellow local product Monty Madaris would also be a huge commitment for Cincinnati to sign in the next few days.

It is clear Cincinnati will need a few of these recruits to boost the recruiting class into the Top 25.