Cincinnati took a hit in its Class of 2027 on Wednesday night when its lone wide receiver in the group, three-star Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (Michigan) prospect Chad Willis, backed off his pledge and flipped to the University of North Carolina.
Willis had been one of 18 commitments in the Bearcats’ class, and Cincinnati is now down to 17. He was also the only receiver in the group, though that hasn’t exactly been a major recruiting lane for the Bearcats in the Satterfield era. Much of Cincinnati’s pass-catching production over the last few seasons has come through the transfer portal.
According to 247Sports, Willis checks in at No. 758 nationally and No. 91 among wide receivers. The 6-foot-3 receiver has drawn plenty of attention, with 31 offers from programs around the country.
The timing leaves Cincinnati with a summer ahead that figures to matter a lot for Scott Satterfield and his roster heading into his fourth season at the helm. Satterfield said last month on ESPN 1530’s Mo Egger that the team had already been through several weeks of summer work and was moving into a tougher stretch.
"Yeah, they've been here now. I think this is the fourth week that they've been back," Satterfield said to ESPN 1530's Mo Egger last month.
"So there's a lot of work that's been put in. When they first get back, it's kind of a gradual build-up throughout those weeks, and this week is kind of the first, I think, hard week.
I would say they're in the weight room, they're on the field, they're running, they're doing individual drills, and just trying to enhance themselves as individuals, depending on what position they play.
"The wide receivers, quarterbacks, running backs, and tight ends are all throwing and catching, so I think more and more each year they allow us to do more and more with the guys, and so we try to take advantage of that, but it's very busy, and it's all good here in our new facility. It's been awesome this summer."
Cincinnati’s class was sitting at No. 53 nationally on 247Sports before Willis’ departure and is now projected to fall into the mid-to-lower 50s. The Bearcats are expected to look for another receiver or two later this summer.
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