Commitment Breakdown: Rivals250 DE Mario Eugenio to Cincinnati

As the wins pile up on the field for the Bearcats, victories along the recruiting trail are taking the same trajectory. Cincinnati finished the 2021 regular season 12-0 with a 35-13 win over East Carolina on Friday, and on Saturday the fans got to celebrate the commitment of four-star 2022 defensive end Mario Eugenio.

WHAT THE BEARCATS ARE GETTING

Every 7A Florida team lining up against Tampa’s Gaither defense had to account for Eugenio. Playing with his hand in the ground, Eugenio is a constant presence off the edge forcing the quarterback to leave the pocket, take the sack, or make an errant pass. Going against the run, Eugenio works to seal the edge using his hands to shed blocks to make the play.

In stats posted through eight games of his senior season, Eugenio accounted for 32 tackles, 26 solo, with 15 tackles for a loss, and eight sacks.

WHY ITS BIG FOR CINCINNATI

Landing Eugenio is a feather-in-the-cap moment for a team fighting for respect on and off the gridiron. Luke Fickell has worked hard to transform a winning program that fell on hard times under Tommy Tuberville (2013-16) into a national powerhouse. Adding Eugenio sends a message to other recruits about the state of affairs for the AAC titan.

On the recruiting side of Eugenio’s commitment, the Bearcats have landed their second four-star prospect in the 2022 class. To excite the fans further, Eugenio will be paired with four-star Ohio defensive tackle Derrick Shepard adding formidable pieces to an already talented roster to keep the American Athletic Conference banners flowing around Nippert Stadium.

Cincinnati’s 2022 recruiting class is now ranked 23rd nationally with two four-star commits and 16 three-star prospects.