Utah Linebacker Dakota Cox Commits to Cincinnati

The Bearcats just continue to roll on the recruiting trail thanks in large part to the camps UC is holding this week. The newest

verbal commitment is Dakota Cox

(excellent name) out of Draper, Utah. To my knowledge, he is the first player from Utah to verbal to Cincinnati at least dating back to the 2002 class. It just goes to show you how much of a national brand the Bearcats have become in the last few years. Cox was offered on

June 12th by UC

, which is his only offer to date although he has drawn interest from Oklahoma.

Overview

Sophomore Year Highlights

Cox is a powerfully built player who throws his body around without regard for injury. He attacks the ball carrier and is fundamentally sound on contact by driving through the player to complete the tackle. He keeps his legs churning to try to push them backwards. Cox is also shows solid speed for a middle linebacker getting downfield and across the line of scrimmage quickly. Overall he moves well in space and towards the sidelines but he is best when he stays within the hashmarks. He also seems to shed blocking offensive linemen well.

Outlook

I really like what Dakota Cox brings as far as size and strength. Although he plays offense, Cox is a run-stuffing, inside linebacker all the way. It may be difficult for him to see the field as a true freshman with Solomon Tentman and presumably Dwight Jackson/Jeff Luc clogging the way at inside linebacker. He will probably take a redshirt and be ready to go in his second year at Cincinnati.