Recruit Kari Jackson visits Ohio Stadium during the Ohio State, Michigan game. Kari Jackson — © Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Recruiting Roundup: UC Lands In Four-Star Linebacker Kari Jackson's Top Seven Schools; Offers Two Four-Star Running Backs

The Bearcats are eyeing plenty of four-star talent this cycle.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Feb 3, 2023 5:09 PM EST

In this story:

Cincinnati Bearcats

CINCINNATI — A four-star finalist headlines the latest UC football Recruiting Roundup.

Cincinnati made Kari Jackson's top seven schools.

The four-star 2024 linebacker is also down to Penn State, Missouri, UCF, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Stanford.

According to 247Sports, Jackson is the 272-ranked player nationally and is the 21st-rated linebacker.

He has a 13.9% chance to sign with Cincinnati, according to On3. Yet, he did not include the top-two programs in his new list: Michigan State and Michigan.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound mauler knows how to use that frame. He is one of the more complete run-game defenders I've watched among UC offers. His patience is what stands out most. Jackson rarely gets caught in bad timing that screws up his leverage. A powerful point-of-attack hitter, Jackson produced a few eye-popping hits on my watch.

The play is never dead with this linebacker.

On the offer list, we have 2024 four-star running back Braylen Russell out of Benton (Arkansas).

According to 247Sports, Russell is the 170th-ranked player nationally and the 15th-best running back. He holds 13 offers from schools like Baylor and Texas A&M.

He finished the 2022 season with 240 attempts for 1,643 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 22 catches for 224 yards and 1 TD.

Russell is the complete package at running back. He is built like a MAC truck with shimmy at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds. The way he moves in the open field at that size is unfair to most opponents. He hits holes hard and gets to his top gear quickly.

Receiving is also a strength. Russell has great timing on screens and can high-point the ball downfield.

Things wrap with four-star running back Caden Durham out of Duncanville (Texas).

According to 247Sports, Durham is the 224th-ranked player nationally and the 18th-rated running back. He holds 30 offers from schools like LSU, Arizona State, and Alabama.

The 5-foot-9 bottle rocket is a joy to watch.

Durham always has his feet churning and his eyes on the touchdown gap. The majority of his 4.5-minute plus tape were house calls of varying lengths.

His thick frame and strong field vision pair with elite top-end speed to make up one of the best running backs in the country.

Durham can block well, and made a couple of nice catches in 2022. It's flat-out hard to bring him down anywhere on the field, plus, he has an uncanny knack for weaving through blocks at the third level.

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