2015 athlete favors Cincy, FAU

Class of 2015 athlete Kemar Downer of Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central is sitting on eight offers, and his top five are Cincinnati, Florida Atlantic, USF, Coastal Carolina and Bowling Green.

"Cincinnati has a nice spread offense," said Downer, who stands at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds. "I want to play offense in college and I feel like it's going to be a good fit for me. But offense, defense - it doesn't really matter to me. Both the offensive and defensive coordinators like me, so it could go either way."

Downer said as it stands, the Bearcats are recruiting him as a defensive back, as are the other seven schools offering and he understands why.

"I play really aggressive," he said. "They like how I attack the ball. I'm not scared to come in and make a hit on a big running back. I'm not scared of that. I don't really ankle bite, I just straight up form tackle. And they like that I've got good hands and make plays on the ball as needed.

"I bring a lot of heat and I bring a lot to the table."

After the Bearcats, Downer likes the direction Florida Atlantic is heading in.

"I like them because they're building their program," he said. "They're building their way up and they have a lot of new and great things happening there. It's going to be a great beginning. The class of '15 is going to be a nice class.

"They've got nice facilities coming in, and the players and the coaching staff are great. They bring you in as a family and they're a great group of people."

The reason he favors the Bearcats at the moment is because he feels he has a chance to play offense there, where as with FAU he said it's been made clear he'll play the defensive side of the ball.

"In college, you never know sometimes," he said. "They might see you do something in practice and then they'll switch you. The schools are pretty close right now, so I'm keeping my options open. FAU might go No. 1."

Downer admitted he'll need to do his research on USF but likes what he knows about the program, and with Coastal Carolina he likes the Myrtle Beach area. With Bowling Green, it's his relationship with the coaching staff that has him considering the school.

As for the rest of the offseason, he'll try and visit Coastal Carolina and Cincinnati. He's already visited Florida Atlantic earlier in the summer. He also said he's been talking with Miami, Nebraska and Purdue, and between those schools, Miami may be the closest to offering after his performance a few weeks back in a camp.