Down the Drive Pulse is back again with a busy week of links and Cincinnati Bearcats stories.

- The major storyline(s) for Cincinnati this week is their string of verbal commitments. Yesterday it was three-star offensive lineman Zach Bycznski and the day before it was another promising recruit in two-star offensive lineman Liam O'Sullivan. Local running back Jeremy Larkin, a cousin of Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, kicked it all off though on Sunday night and Cincy on the Prowl had an interesting perspective on the Larkin verbal commitment.

- Jumping into basketball, we have a story from the Cincinnati Enquirer about what men's basketball head coach Mick Cronin learned over his time away from coaching last season.

"He spent last winter spectating. What he learned he found revelatory, mainly because college basketball coaches universally believe they can win games with strategy, adjustments and lots of timeouts."

- Speaking of men's basketball coaches, associate head coach Larry Davis has been named the University of Cincinnati's Coach of the Year by GoBearcats.com. The men's basketball team was named the Team of the Year and baseball's Ian Happ was named the Male Athlete of the Year for the Bearcats. Swimmer Jacqueline Keire is the Female Athlete of the Year after being the first female swimmer to earn All-America honors in a decade. GoBearcats.com is announcing award winners through June 24. Each of their current selections have clearly earned their awards.

- Happ had himself a week this week after being drafted ninth overall in the MLB Draft on June 8 by the Chicago Cubs. Happ officially agreed to terms on his new contract with the Cubs on June 15 and his signing was officially announced June 18. It's great to have another Bearcat in the pro ranks to keep an eye on moving forward.

1st-rder Ian Happ, @Cubs agree on $3 mil (pick 9 = $3,351,000). Cincinnati OF, one of best college bats, solid tools, corner guy. @MLBDraft

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) June 15, 2025

- Cincinnati's women's soccer team has released their schedule for their upcoming fall season and it's a rough one. There are 11 home matches and nine on the road with five matches against teams who received NCAA Tournament bids last season (DePaul, Colorado, USF, UCF and UConn). Their first match against DePaul is August 21, 2015.

Our 2015 schedule has been released! #Bearcats http://t.co/BRbp94mZ6b pic.twitter.com/5f8lZUFQ6V

— UC Bearcats Soccer (@UCWomensSoccer) June 17, 2025

- Finally, check out our latest installment of the Cincinnati Draft, a NBA draft completed with Bearcats past and present, and a Video Vault where we bring up, arguably, the best song with "Cincinnati" in the name.

- For our bit of randomness this week, I present the 53-year-old Herschel Walker looking ripped. The tweet itself is from March 3, but Walker was interviewed yesterday and said he could suit up and play football in the NFL now at 53. While I take that as more clickbait rather than a real consideration, Walker certainly looks the part.

Herschel Walker turns 53 today and can still beat you in just about anything #Beast pic.twitter.com/siYXVOY7D0

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 3, 2026