2011 Cincinnati Bearcat Recruiting Class Beginning to Take Shape

According to rivals.com, from 2002-2008, the University of Cincinnati had no four-stars in any recruiting class. In the days of former head coach Rick Minter and Conference USA, even three-stars were difficult to come by.

With the Bearcats' entrance into the Big East, bigger name recruits began to come. Three-stars became more common, but still no four-stars to speak of.

In 2009, Cincinnati received its first two four-star recruits in an eternity when it signed junior college wide receiver Jamar Howard and local defensive back Chris Williams. 

The 2010 recruiting class also saw a couple four-star wide receivers in Dyjuan Lewis and JUCO Kenbrell Thompkins. 

USC transfer Vidal Hazelton gives Cincinnati a five-star recruit and one of the best players in the nation coming out of high school a few years ago. 

The Bearcats have certainly reached heights not even imaginable a few years ago, and the 2011 recruiting class is shaping up to be better than any of them.

Earlier in the week, the Bearcats received a commitment from the second three-star receiver of the class, Shaquille Washington. Rated one of the top 40 players in Ohio, at 5'8" and 147 pounds, Washington is dubbed by some as a mini Mardy Gilyard.

He joins fellow three-star wideout Alex Chisum from Georgia. Both players are considered to be in the top 70 as far as wide receivers are concerned.

Cincinnati has also received commitments on the defensive side of the ball, highlighted by linebacker Nick Temple from Indianapolis. Temple is one of the top players in the entire state and is one of the top outside linebackers in the country.

Without question, the biggest star so far in Butch Jones' first true recruiting class is quarterback Patrick Coyne.

Considered by some to be one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, Coyne is a four-star recruit who is arguably one of the most sought-after recruits in the state of Ohio.

At 6'2" and 220 pounds, Coyne had offers from Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Boston College among others. A local kid from Hamilton's Badin High School in metro Cincinnati, Coyne fits into the Cincinnati offense perfectly and was very impressive at the Elite 11 camp.

While the recruiting class is definitely nowhere close to being completed, there is no question that Cincinnati and Butch Jones are off to a great start. 

While the Bearcats are still a ways away from competing against the real big boys, they have come a long way over the past decade, and it may not be long before the Bearcats are landing five-star recruits with consistency and regularity.