Cincinnati Bearcats Football: 2012 Recruiting Class Continues to Take Shape

With the success Cincinnati has had over the past few seasons, the recruits and commitments they have signed have slowly gotten better and better. 

The class of 2012 is shaping up to be as good as any. Cincinnati currently has 25 commitments for the class with 16 of them three-star recruits and one four-star according to rivals.com. 

The biggest name in the class is running back Dennis Norfleet. Norfleet is rated the No. 6 all-purpose back in the country and the No. 11 player in the entire state of Michigan. He chose Cincinnati over Michigan St. and Tennessee. At 5'7" and 170 lbs he is most often compared to Darren Sproles. 

Another big name on the commitment list for Cincinnati is quarterback Bennie Coney. Coney is ranked the No. 14 dual-threat quarterback in the country and is the No. 80 player in the state of Florida. He chose Cincinnati over numerous schools including LSU, Arkansas and Auburn. 

Butch Jones loves recruiting receivers and this class will be no different. Perhaps the biggest wide receiver name is Nathan Cole. He is rated the No. 58 wide receiver in the country and the No. 13 player in the state of Tennessee. Cole had offers from Alabama and Tennessee among others. 

Cincinnati also has commitments from numerous other three-stars, including safety Andre Jones, defensive end Ryan Leahy and linebackers Ey'Shawn McClain and Kenneth Bynum. 

The class is starting to take shape and as always there is a lot of balance in the class with talent at all positions on both sides of the ball. 

If Cincinnati keeps winning year in and year out, the recruits will continue to come and the team that this senior class has become will eventually turn into a program with a tradition of winning.