Thursday, February 04, 1999
Last-place defense is Bearcats' first priority
Recruiting class heavy on JUCOs
BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The University of Cincinnati added two prep quarterbacks and eight junior-college players in a 14-man football signing class Wednesday. The class will grow as more signed letters come in, coach Rick Minter said.
UC has the full allotment of 25 scholarships, but was waiting for signed letters from several California junior college players and some prep recruits late Wednesday. The Bearcats expect at least a dozen junior college recruits.
Nine signees were on defense, where UC ranked last nationally in points allowed (41.5 per game) in a 2-9 season.
“We're not abandoning our high school recruiting, but we want to compete,” Minter said. “We need some guys to come in and play right away.”
Signees include quarterbacks Luis Gonzalez (Coral Park, Fla.) and Cory Schwartz (Spring, Texas), who will vie for the job once Deontey Kenner leaves in two years. Gonzalez threw for 1,899 yards and 20 TDs last year, while Schwartz threw for 1,026 yards and 12 TDs.
Locally, UC signed Glen Este running back/linebacker Chas Hall and Loveland tight end A.J. Lucius.
A potential impact player is Mario Monds, a 6-4, 370-pound defensive tackle from Hutchinson Community College, Kan. Monds is the son of Wonderful Monds Jr., an All-American safety at Nebraska from 1973-75. Another Monds, Wonderful Monds III, is an outfielder in the Reds organization.
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Let Vaughn keep his goatee
MIAMI 69, OHIO 54
MIAMI NOTEBOOK
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