Cincinnati Football: Bearcats land 4-star wide receiver Malik Elzy

2023 4-star wide receiver Malik Elzy announced his commitment to Cincinnati on Friday afternoon. Elzy earned an offer from the Bearcats in February before taking an official visit in June. According to 247 Sports, Cincinnati’s upcoming recruiting class is ranked 14th in the country with 21 total commits.

Cincinnati Football: Bearcats land 4-star wide receiver Malik Elzy

Elzy became the fourth 4-star prospect to commit to Cincinnati alongside Trevor Carter, Daeh McCullough and Amare Snowden. The 6’3, 200-pound receiver chose the Bearcats over scholarship offers from Illinois, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon prior to his senior year at Simeon High School in Chicago.

“I worked for it and God did what he did. It’s amazing to have the stress off my back and now I will work to finish my senior season strong,” Elzy said following his commitment via 247 Sports. “Coach Luke Fickell, Mike Brown and Gino Guidugli all played a part. I got a chance to really get to know them a lot better. They made me a priority.”

In addition to his official visit on June 17, Elzy took an unofficial trip to Cincinnati in April. Brown and Guidugli were the lead recruiters during his recruiting process, traveling to Chicago several times this spring. The Bearcats continue to have success recruiting Illinois including current players Ben Bryant, Jake Renfro and John Williams, plus former wide receiver Alec Pierce.

Allen Trieu, 247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst, explained his thoughts on Elzy: “Uses his size and strength well to make contested catches. Not a speed demon but has some stop-start suddenness as a route runner. Projects as a red zone threat and outside split end in college but can also play in the slot.”