Pinging The Portal: UC Offers Pair of Linebackers in Larry Nixon III, Daveren Rayner

CINCINNATI — UC football offered two more linebackers on Monday starting with Larry Nixon III out of North Texas.

The 6-foot-2, 236-pounder posted 105 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack in 14 games last season. All in all, it earned Nixon first-team All-Conference USA honors.

The underlying metrics were decent for Nixon. He finished 17th among qualified Conference USA linebackers with a 66.6 PFF grade. He's another name Cincinnati is eyeing for depth in the middle of its defense behind Dorian Jones and Jack Dingle.

Massive 🛑 on fourth down for the Mean Green defense, courtesy of @_larrynixon and @kddthe1❗️ @MeanGreenFB | #CUSAFB pic.twitter.com/4WGqmCwsNV
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) November 12, 2022

The other offer went to Northern Illinois junior linebacker Daveren Rayner.

Cincinnati offered ! @CortBraswell pic.twitter.com/ziZUL5Hnay
— Daveren 🦧 (@d9veren) May 1, 2023

The 6-foot-3, 208-pound linebacker posted 71 tackles, and 3.5 sacks last season for NIU. Rayner has two years of eligibility left after playing in eight 2022 games.

Rayner has problems in coverage (46 PFF coverage grade last season), but is a solid tackler and run defender. He ranked 29th among 37 qualified Mid-American Conference linebackers in overall PFF grade last season (60.9).

*Rayner is No. 9 in these highlights.

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