Bearcats Kick Off 2016 Recruiting Class with Cornerback Dontye Carriere-Williams

Cincinnati, fresh off their first verbal commitment of their 2017 recruiting class, has racked in three-star Dontye Carriere-Williams, the #39 ranked cornerback according to 247Sports, to kick off their 2016 class.

Carriere-Williams weighs in at 5'10", 174 lbs and sports a Composite rating of 87 and an 88 rating from 247Sports. Rivals.com has him ranked as their #42 cornerback with a 5.6 rating and ESPN has him graded as the #30 cornerback from the 2016 class with a 75 rating.

Carriere-Williams chose Cincinnati over a long list of schools - including Buffalo, Bowling Green, Temple and Toledo - who extended scholarship offers. A number of ACC schools, including Miami (FL), Florida State and Duke have expressed interest, but haven't offered any scholarships to this point. Florida, Notre Dame and South Carolina have also been linked with Carriere-Williams, but again, none have made offers.

The Miami, Florida (Booker T. Washington) product should be considered a great addition for the Bearcats if they can get him to sign come Signing Day next February. Carriere-Williams has been a lifelong fan of the Miami Hurricanes, according to CanesInSight, and said LSU, Florida and Florida State were other top schools he was hoping to hear from during the recruiting process.

On the football field, Carriere-Williams is an exciting addition to the Bearcats defense. He moves well with fluidity in his hips, allowing him to easily turn and run with receivers. He has great instincts with the ball in the air and tracks the deep ball well. The most exciting element of his game, in my eyes, is his willingness to tackle. In the highlights below, you see a player who knows how to shed a block and stick his nose into contact. His tackling form can be tweaked as he adds some size from a college lifting program, but the mentality he already brings to the table is half the battle. He is a solid developmental corner who has the mentality and athleticism to contribute early, if needed, and what looks to be a high-ceiling in his development.

There is a lot to like about this player and it is a great addition for the Bearcats, but there are concerns if Cincinnati will be able to keep his attention if the big-time local schools start throwing out offers.