Cincinnati Recruiting: UC Commit Jeremy Larkin Flips To Northwestern

The hits just keep on coming for UC fans, as prized 2016 running back recruit Jeremy Larkin flipped to Northwestern and could lose cornerback Donyte Carriere-Williams to Wisconsin.

These are two players who Tommy Tuberville’s staff identified as under-the-radar talent months ago, received offers from Cincinnati, and of course saw their recruitment explode over the Fall. That and I’m sure found their way climbing depth charts of Power Five schools as recruits ahead of them committed elsewhere.

The headliner was Jeremy Larkin, the Ohio Co-Offensive Player of the Year for the State Champion La Salle Lancers this season. He racked up 2,568 yards and 36 touchdowns from scrimmage as a senior and all of a sudden Power Five schools started showing interest. However, since committing to UC way back in June, it wasn’t like Larkin wasn’t ignoring that interest. The running back took unofficial visits to Kentucky, Michigan State, and Northwestern, that last one actually offered him a few days later in October, which he would accept this past weekend.

On the one hand I understand his position. The running back spot will be a logjam for the next two years with Mike Boone and Tion Green returning, with the latter probably taking over on a permanent basis in 2017. Plus, it’s unclear how Joshwua Holloman and Taylor Boose will progress going into their second season at UC. Larkin would also have to battle with Gerrid Doaks in his own class. I’m not sure about Northwestern’s situation at running back but I have to imagine it’s a little more open than here.

On the other, he’s yet another local kid to tease the Bearcats but ultimately wind up at a Power Five school, so yea I’m a little disgruntled about it.

Then there’s cornerback Dontye Carriere-Williams, who, like Larkin, has been verbally committed to Cincinnati for months and picked up about a million offers since that decision, including Wisconsin on his visit over the weekend. Again, just another under-the-radar recruit who UC got on their radar early and now a Power Five school is trying to swoop in to woo him away. At this point it doesn’t look like Carriere-Williams is going anywhere but this will definitely be a battle the Bearcats will have to fight right up until National Signing Day. Keep a close eye on this one, folks!

So goes it in the world of the Group of Five. No matter how well your scouting and recruiting process are, impressionable high school players will tend to be swayed by the glories of facing top tier teams, or playing for one of them, in a Power Five conference. Until Cincinnati makes that jump, that’s just how it’s going to be. The only thing Tuberville and crew can do is continue to nurture those relationships and ensure UC is the only right choice they make.