Big East Recruiting: Cincinnati nabs athletic trio

Cincinnati coach Butch Jones picked up three commitments in the last two weeks. (US Presswire)

Cincinnati coach Butch Jones has been busy in the last couple of weeks, and not just with his team battling to stay in the Big East title race. Three prep players committed to the Cincinnati program in the last two weeks, led by Immokalee (Fla.) QB/WR/CB Tshumbi Johnson. It's difficult to project where Johnson will end up on the field -- anywhere from quarterback to the defensive secondary -- but he will likely find a place somewhere. Johnson turned down offers from a few area schools, as well as Cincy's Big East rival, Louisville.

Jones also got commitments from Copley (Ohio) running back Aregeros Turner -- a three-star back according to Rivals.com -- and Nikolaus D'Avanzo, a defensive end from Baltimore. D'Avanzo's size (6-3, 244) and skill lend him to several different positions, including tight end. He also adds some extra flair to this weekend's Temple-Cincinnati game, as D'Avanzo had formerly verbally committed to coach Steve Addazio and the Owls.

Turner turned down looks from the likes of Illinois, Purdue, Tennessee and Washington to join the Bearcats. He's been battling injuries of late, but scouts like his strength and quickness. And with George Winn graduating, Turner could be asked upon to spell Ralph David Abernathy IV in the backfield next year.

Pennsylvania LB spurns Rutgers, chooses UConn: Junior Joseph, a linebacker from West Lawn's (Pa.) Wilson high school, committed last week to Connecticut. Joseph also had offers from a host of MAC schools and Rutgers. In addition to leading a dominant defense at Wilson, Joseph also has five catches for 63 yards and 27 carries for 149 yards and three scores.

RB Ibrahim pledges to Pitt: The Panthers already have an up and coming star to replace Ray Graham with freshman Rushel Shell, but commitment Rachid Ibrahim of Gaithersburg's (Md.) The Avalon School is a different style back than the bruising Shell. A lanky running back, Ibrahim is listed at just 6-2, 170 pounds and has a running style described as "slashing" by ESPN.com. He turned down offers from Boston College and Iowa, among others, to join Paul Chryst's team.

Bulls add local receiver and Georgia tight end: Tampa's own Zach Benjamin decided to stay close to home, committing to South Florida and shunning a host of other offers. Benjamin (6-5, 189) is described as a possession receiver, and he's the fourth pass-catcher in the Bulls' 2013 class that also features highly ranked quarterback Asiantii Woulard. Bejamin turned down several offers, notably from Air Force, Ohio, Toledo and Western Kentucky.

South Florida also picked up tight end Mikey Bart (6-3, 245) out of Buford (Ga.). Bart tweeted late Wednesday that he was committing to USF, turning down offers from Central Florida, Syracuse, and North Carolina.

Rutgers looking ahead: Coach Kyle Flood and the Scarlet Knights locked up their first commitment in the class of 2014 when Palmetto (Fla.) running back Josh Hicks pledged to Rutgers. Hicks (5-11, 195) is an explosive back with good hands and great quickness. He chose Rutgers over South Florida and Cincinnati, and he'll be entering with a chance to be current sophomore Savon Huggins' backup. The Scarlet Knights signed only Huggins two years and have only gained one running back commitment in 2012, so Hicks could be a candidate to get playing time immediately.

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