Coming off a disappointing 4-8 season which ended a streak of consecutive BCS bowl appearances the absolute worst thing that could happen for the Bearcats is to lose any of the recruiting momentum built during the past three seasons.

While current head coach Butch Jones is taking a wait-and-see approach to this year's class, early indications are that Cincinnati is still considered a favorable destination for the nation's top talent.

"Recruiting is not an exact science," Jones said. "The success of this class will be measured one to two years from now. Then we'll know how successful this recruiting class was. It's all about developing the total student athlete."

The Bearcats' 24 signees have garnered high praise including a program-best No. 41 ranking by Scout.com which also has it ranked third in the Big East Conference. It bears mentioning, of course, that the two UC classes that ended up producing back-to-back Big East titles was not highly regarded.

The prize of this year's class is Jameel Poteat, a running back from Harrisburg, Pa. that had verbally committed to Pittsburgh but rescinded when Dave Wannstedt left. Poteat chose UC after considering offers from Tennessee, Notre Dame, USC and others.

"He was never crossed off our list," Jones said. "He took a trip here with his parents early last summer and fell in love with the place."

While the Bearcats' focus remains in the state of Ohio, they were able to net recruits from California, Florida, and Georgia, states generally dominated by the premier conferences.

"We made some inroads in the state of Georgia that will serve us for many years to come," Jones said. "We're excited about squaring up against some other programs. But we want to find the right fit."

UC nabbed eight recruits from Ohio including Youngstown Ursuline running back Akise Teague, who was named Ohio's Mr. Football this past season, and eight players from the Cincinnati area, four of whom will be preferred walk-ons.

TOP OF THE CLASS

RB Jameel Poteat (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) -- A four-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com, Poteat is rated as high as No. 15 nationally among running backs. He verbally committed to Pitt before reopening his recruiting following Dave Wannstedt's departure. Poteat chose UC over Tennessee, Notre Dame, USC and others.

LB Nick Temple (Warren Central, Indianapolis, In.) -- Indiana's top linebacker according to the Indianapolis Star, Temple is a three-star recruit by most scouting services and the 6th-best player in Indiana according to Rivals.

WR Shaq Washington (Maple Heights, Cleveland, Oh.) -- Washington played quarterback in high school but likely will move to wide receiver at UC. He enrolled at UC in January and will participate in spring practice.

WR Chris Moore (Jefferson, Tampa, Fl.) -- Moore had 1,500 receiving yards during his senior season. He's a three-star recruit according to Scout.com and Rivals which lists him as the No. 94 receiver overall.

RB Akise Teague (Ursuline, Youngstown, Oh.) -- Teague was named Ohio's Mr. Football this past season, the first UC recruit to have won that award.

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