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Luke Fickell said in his introductory press conference that he wanted to put a priority on recruiting local players. He has done just that by getting a commitment from Jarell White, who announced that he will sign with Cincinnati, his hometown school.
BREAKING: Jarell White commits to UC #Bearcats
— Adam Baum (@AdamJBaum) January 3, 2017
White, a 5’10”, 200-pound athlete from LaSalle in Cincinnati, is a four-star recruit according to Rivals and a three-star recruit according to 247Sports and was high on the list of targets for UC. His decision came down to UC and Purdue but he got offers from a host of other programs including Boston College, Iowa and Illinois. Rivals has White ranked 22nd in the 2017 class at his position and the No. 11 recruit in the state.
Its unclear where White will play at UC, as he could fit in at running back, safety or linebacker, but his pure athletic skills make him a nice building block for Fickell’s first recruiting class at UC.
Speaking of Fickell, it appears that his hiring and early commitment to recruiting local players had a major impact on White’s decision.
Jarell White says he never considered staying home until Luke Fickell got the job and made him a priority. #Bearcats
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) January 3, 2017