Nate Cole commits to Cincinnati

As the 20th commitment to the Bearcats’ class of 2012, Nate Cole is rounding out the wide receivers of the class. The Bearcats already had Jeremy Graves and Vincent Miller but Cole is arguably the most talented of the group and will likely be the last wide out to verbal to Cincinnati for this class. He is another prospect from Memphis, along with Alex Dale, and is showing how this coaching staff is opening up new doors for Bearcats recruiting that we have never seen before. Nabbing Cole from that recruiting hotbed should create even more breakthroughs in the future.

Overview

Cole is a flat out go-to receiver in every sense of the word. For his size he high points the ball very well and is thickly built to shield himself from defenders attempting to knock it down. Cole also has a nice giddy-up to him but not enough to flat out burn defenders in the open field. However, his body control and size aid him here by making him a seemingly bigger target for quarterbacks. In other words, they are more prone to throw his way because 9 times out of 10, he’s probably going to make the catch.

Outlook

Remember how I mentioned he has a strong, well built body? That’s how he will make his money (so to speak) with the Bearcats as he’ll be working the middle of the field from the slot position while wearing red and black. When he steps on campus I think he could garner playing time as a backup inside receiver. In all likelihood in 2012, Anthony McClung and Shaq Washington will be the starters those positions. But the backups will likely be a combination of Bruce Horner, Max Morrison, or Chris Moore. Cole coming in as a true freshman could easily break the 2-deep in this situation as the 2nd string is basically up for grabs.