As the University of Cincinnati football team prepares to face top-ranked Alabama in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve, head coach Luke Fickell and his staff, at least for a day, must look past the Crimson Tide.
The fifth year of the early signing period kicks off Wednesday, marking the time when high school recruits can put ink to their National Letter of Intent and formally sign to the university of their choosing.
Follow live as the back-to-back American Athletic Conference champion Bearcats and Fickell, The Home Depot Coach of the Year, announce their signees from the Class of 2022:
DT Derrick Shepard
Cincinnati started the day by announcing the signing of four-star Kettering Archbishop Alter High School defensive tackle Derrick Shepard.
At the time of his commitment in December 2020, Shepard was the highest-rated defensive commitment in program history, according to 247Sports.
"They just always showed love from Day 1," Shepard told The Enquirer. "They were my first offer back in January. Ever since then, they've been showing love. There's been a lot of schools that's been in contact, but theirs, it hasn't been too overwhelming or too little. So it just feels like the right decision."
More:DT Derrick Shepard, 4-star recruit from Class of 2022, commits to Luke Fickell, Bearcats
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Shepard chose Cincinnati over offers from Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa State, Florida State and others.
RB Stephan Byrd
UC then announced the addition of Canal Winchester High School running back Stephan Byrd, who at one point was ranked the 13th-best Class of 2022 recruit in Ohio by 247Sports.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Byrd also had offers from Akron, Ball State, Iowa State, Michigan, Minnesota, Pitt, Tennessee and others.
More:Stephan Byrd, Class of 2022 running back from Canal Winchester HS, commits to UC Bearcats
Byrd, a three-star recruit, had three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and is a standout athlete in track and field.
CB Jonquis "JQ" Hardaway
After both Cincinnati cornerbacks Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner (first team) and Coby Bryant (second team, Jim Thorpe Award winner) earned All-American honors from the Associated Press, the Bearcats announced the signing of another cornerback for coach Perry Eliano to develop.
More:Cincinnati Bearcats defensive back Coby Bryant makes history by winning Jim Thorpe Award
Jonquis "JQ" Hardaway, of Columbus, Georgia, officially joined the Bearcats after playing his senior season at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama.
Hardaway chose Cincinnati over offers from Georgia, Oregon, Florida and others.
At 6-foot-3, Hardaway is a tall, long and physical corner similar to Gardner.
WR Quincy Burroughs
After adding a weapon to the exterior of its defense, UC added a versatile piece to the exterior of the offensive side of the ball.
Wide receiver Quincy Burroughs, who committed to the Bearcats in February, made it official on Wednesday.
Burroughs, a three-star recruit from Raines High School in Jacksonville, Florida, also had offers from Oregon State, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and others.
CB Ken Willis
Cincinnati offered Colerain High School cornerback Ken Willis a scholarship in June after he ran a 4.33 and a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash at a camp on the UC campus.
Willis announced his commitment to the Bearcats shortly thereafter on Father's Day.
More:Signing Day: Colerain defensive back Ken Willis signs with University of Cincinnati
"I felt loved and my Dad liked it, too," Willis said in a preseason interview with The Enquirer. "I made my decision sooner and I feel like I'm ready."
Willis elected to stay home and signed with Cincinnati on Tuesday over offers from Marshall, West Virginia, Buffalo and others.
The 5-foot-11 and 160-pound Willis had 64 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions for Colerain since the 2019 season.
Willis joins Deshawn Pace, Ja'von Hicks and Darrian Beavers as former Cardinals who stayed home to play for Fickell at UC.
OT Ethan Green
Ethan Green, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive lineman from Fremont, Ohio, signed with the Bearcats over offers from Eastern Michigan, Tulane, Iowa State and others.
In addition to being a three-star recruit on the football field, Green is also a high school All-America wrestler, an allure for Fickell, who won three straight Ohio state wrestling titles from 1990 to 1992 while at St. Francis DeSales in Columbus.
OL Jonathan Harder
The Bearcats announced back-to-back additions to their offensive line by following Green with three-star lineman Jonathan Harder from Olentangy Berlin High School near Columbus.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Harder signed with Cincinnati over offers from Ball State, Akron and Toledo, among others.
Harder committed to the Bearcats in August.
OL Luke Dalton
Fickell and UC offensive line coach Ron Crook made it three straight by announcing the signing of Marian Central Catholic (Woodstock, Illinois) O-lineman Luke Dalton.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Dalton had offers from Arizona State, Kansas, Harvard and a host of others but elected to sign with the Bearcats.
