Recruiting Roundup: Four-Star Local Recruit Sets Visit; UC Offers Top-60 Edge Rusher

The Bearcats recruiting plan focused on sacking the quarterback this week.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Jan 12, 2023 10:37 AM EST

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Cincinnati Bearcats

CINCINNATI — Time to fire up another recruiting roundup with a basketball offer sprinkled in to start.

Wes Miller and his staff offered 2025 forward Luke Bevilacqua out of George School (Pennsylvania) this week.

Bevilacqua is not ranked on any major service but has interest from schools like St. Josephs and La Salle.

Bevilacqua is an athletic 6-foot-10 defensive weapon. He's not very developed offensively outside of cleanup buckets near the rim, but he's a solid defender. Bevilacqua rotates soundly along the baseline and pairs that with nice block timing.

Moving to the gridiron, local four-star 2023 edge rusher Elias Rudolph out of Taft (Ohio) is heading to Clifton for his first unofficial college visit.

According to 247Sports, Rudolph is the 116th-ranked player in this class and the 11th-ranked edge rusher. ESPN has him ranked 140th overall and 19th among edge rushers.

He holds 20 offers and is projected to sign with Ohio State. Cincinnati offered him while Luke Fickell was still in town, and then re-offered on Dec. 16. He was a monster in 2022, posting 87 tackles, 17.5 sacks, and 15 TFLs, to round out a Southwest District Player of the Year campaign.

Rudolph is a bit slight at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, but he's bendy as hell and usually the most athletic player on every snap. He has a great speed rush and spin move combo that he uses to win on the outside. When he lines up inside, that speed pops even more. A lot of his highlights remind me of Myjai Sanders.

Cincinnati also offered four-star linebacker Qua Birdsong out of Troup County (Georgia).

According to 247Sports, Birdsong is the 151st-ranked player nationally and the 14th-ranked linebacker. ESPN has him ranked 183rd and 16th among linebackers. He holds offers from schools like Mississippi State, Notre Dame, and Ole Miss.

Stack some more muscle on Birdsong and he'll be a menace to opposing defenses. The junior has a great play-to-play motor with no wasted movement, he takes great angles on pass rushes and times snaps very well for a high schooler.

His 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame, and playing style remind me a lot of Ivan Pace Jr. Birdsong has a similar motor around the line of scrimmage. He is a decent cover man as well but makes his mark pursuing the quarterback as a linebacker/defensive end hybrid.

We continue with 2024 four-star edge rusher Booker Pickett Jr. out of Wharton (Florida). He would be the highest-rated recruit UC's signed in the 247Sports era.

According to 247Sports, Pickett is the 52nd-ranked player nationally and the sixth-ranked edge rusher. ESPN has him ranked 78th nationally and eighth among edge rushers.

Pickett holds 30-plus offers from schools like Florida State, Auburn, and North Carolina.

His raw talent is palpable on film. Pickett had a chip or double team on nearly all the pass rush snaps I watched. It usually didn't matter. He has an advanced set of pass rush skills, tapping into the speed rush and spin move most often.

Pickett can rush from multiple spots across the defensive line. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound menace is also a great down-the-line run defender, snuffing out ball carriers for no gain in multiple clips.

We close out the roundup with 2024 three-star edge rusher Gavench Marcelin out of Belen Jesuit Prep (Florida).

According to 247Sports, Marcelin is the 567th-ranked player nationally and the 36th-ranked edge rusher.

He holds offers from schools like Boston College, Florida Atlantic, and Marshall. Scott Satterfield offered him a scholarship to Louisville last July.

A beefy recruit at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, Marcelin often wins with power and has a similar motor to Pickett. Both are great run defenders that wrap and pursue clinically.

Marcelin also rushes from both sides but doesn't quite have the pass rush move package that Pickett sports. Still, Marcelin is an impressive recruit that stamps a busy week pursuing edge talent.

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