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The Bearcats have earned another verbal commitment for their 2016 recruiting class with the addition of wide receiver Marcel Paul from Cass Tech in Detroit, Michigan. As usual, Sam Kwiatkowski broke the news.
#Cincinnati has picked up a commitment from Cass Tech (MI) WR Marcel Paul
— Sam Kwiatkowski (@SKwiatkowski247) July 17, 2015
Paul is 6'1″, 173 lbs and is another player from a long line of guys who have found themselves playing on Saturdays for FBS schools from Cass Tech in Detroit. While Paul is unranked by most recruiting networks, you get the sense that Tommy Tuberville and the coaching staff have something up their sleeve with this commitment.
On the Field
On the field, Paul is a solid player. A lot has been made about his speed, but I really like what he offers as a complete player. He blocks very well for a receiver and seems to do a good job of earning extra yards before he is brought down as a ball-carrier. There is limited video of Paul running a more complete route tree, but he seems to run with nice fluidity and speed that shouldn't limit his development in the Cincinnati Bearcats program. There is one particular clip in the highlights below where he high-points a ball very well in the back of the end zone, so I wouldn't be surprised if he has a lot to offer when he gets on campus and gets with the Bearcats coaches.
Paul did test at The Opening Chicago on May 3rd, 2015 where he ran a 4.76 40-yard dash, showed off a 31.5 inch vertical and did the 20-yard pro agility shuttle in 4.26 seconds. While testing numbers are great to look at, they aren't always reflective of what a player has to offer on the football field. Paul seems to play faster than the tests show.
Plus, I still believe his value remains in his balance as a player. He has speed, size, blocking ability (which coaches love at wideout) and looks capable as a receiver. The Cincinnati coaches like him and have a vision for him on the roster and I think we can trust their judgement. When I watch Paul on film, I see an element of former Bearcat Armon Binns, a guy who worked hard and was able to do multiple things from the wide receiver spot even though he wasn't overwhelming athletically. While this is more of a "wait and see" commitment, I'm excited to see what the coaching staff does with Paul when he gets on campus.