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UC football succeeds at keeping some of Greater Cincinnati’s high school talent here

Interview by Danny Cross

La Salle’s J.K. Schaffer says he always wanted to go to UC. Photo By: Danny Cross

When Brian Kelly took over the University of Cincinnati program a little more than a year ago, he made a conscious effort to get UC football into the minds of local sports fans. Kelly campaigned in neighborhoods that support Cincinnati’s successful high school programs, promising a winning product on UC’s field if people would just come out to support the team.
UC football had been overshadowed for a long time by nearby Big 10 schools (Ohio State, mostly), and the Bearcat basketball team’s success had made football an afterthought for most local sports fans.

But after UC’s first 10-win season since 1951, which included numerous wins over ranked teams on national TV, Greater Cincinnati is finally starting to believe that the football being played at the nearly century-old stadium in Clifton is on par with the country’s best.

A major reason for the program’s resurgence is Cincinnati’s abundance of excellent high school football players. Three of UC’s 22 starters last year went to local high schools, and a handful of others saw significant playing time.

One recruiting analyst who covers Ohio and the Midwest recently said that UC has plenty of local Division I caliber players to choose from, and if Kelly and his recruiters get the type of kids who fit the UC system the Bearcats will be good for years to come (see “Born & Raised,” issue of Oct. 10, 2007).

This year’s recruiting class includes seven players from Cincinnati high schools. Here’s a look at three of the more prominent names that Kelly and his staff kept home.

Evan Davis, Colerain offensive lineman
The UC-Colerain connection continues this year with three more Cardinals moving to Clifton to play for the Bearcats. Evan Davis was the first to commit, and Colerain teammate Brandon Mills later signed and punter Mark Tabar became a “preferred walk on.”

Davis is a 6-foot-4, 250 pound offensive lineman who helped Colerain win the 2004 state championship. UC offered him a scholarship a couple months after his junior year, and he decided to sign despite an offer from Bowling Green, where his older brother plays.

“I just loved the coaches and the UC campus,” Davis says. “I felt good with the program. It’s heading in the right direction.”

Committing to UC before his senior year allowed Davis to relax during his final high school season while many of his teammates had to wait for offers and make tough decisions about their futures. He says that having his extended family attending every home game drives him to work even harder.

Davis’ mother, Gail, says there’s actually a drawback to having Evan attend UC rather than Bowling Green — the away games are farther away.

“That’s one advantage with the MAC (Mid-American Conference),” Gail says. “The MAC schools are all close and drivable. They’re usually at a time on a Saturday when we can get there. But, you know, we’ll just make it work. We’re excited about going and seeing different colleges and different schools.”

Davis is currently taking care of all the clerical obligations of getting into college, which include trying to get himself, Mills and two other local recruits — J.K. Schaffer and Danny Milligan — into the same dorm room.

J.K. Schaffer, La Salle linebacker
A few weeks after his junior season ended, J.K. Schaffer sat down with his parents and promised them he’d earn a scholarship to play for UC. He had no real reason to expect this to happen, but he wanted it badly — as did they.

“I wasn’t sure at all,” Schaffer says. “I thought it was a long shot, but I was gonna get it. I wasn’t gonna let anybody stop me.”

The offer came about six months later, after UC’s summer camp. Schaffer, who attended every Bearcat home game this year with either his father and brother or other friends, says he’s always wanted to play for UC. He says he was recruited by other nearby Division I schools but that UC was the only program he cared to receive an offer from.

“I’ve always wanted to go to UC,” he says. “I’ve always loved the Bearcats, always watched them, go to games all the time. I just love everything about it.”

La Salle Athletic Director Dan Flynn says that Schaffer will be an excellent student athlete at UC and that Kelly’s attention to locally-produced players will keep the program going for a long time.

“I think UC’s done a great job in terms of recruiting the local area,” Flynn says. “I’m not sure they’ve always done that. There’s a lot of great football players here — it’s a great football town. Keep the inroads from the local schools, and they’ll be just fine.”

Schaffer says his family is excited that he’ll be playing for the program they’ve already been following for years.

“My grandparents and all my little cousins and all my aunts and uncles — they’re all wearing their Cincinnati stuff and they all love it,” Schaffer says. “They can’t wait ’til it starts.”

Danny Milligan, St. Xavier wide receiver
St. Xavier wide receiver/punter/kicker Danny Milligan shared the 2007 AP Ohio Offensive Player of the Year award, but that didn’t result in Division I scholarship offers rolling in. He received attention from a number of regional universities, including UC, but for a while none was willing to offer more than a “preferred walk on” role, which meant he could play for the team but would still have to pay tuition.

Milligan resisted, and his successful senior season eventually resulted in a full scholarship offer from UC.

After St. X completed its undefeated state championship season, former Colerain coach and current UC defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs called Milligan and offered the scholarship. Milligan told his parents after school and called Coombs back that night to accept it.

“I went home and told my parents,” Milligan says. “They were crying and overjoyed. My mom was very into having me close to home, and for my dad I think watching me my whole career, even coaching me when I was little, being able to see me play at the college level 24-7 and going down to practices is a big deal for him as well.”

UC’s initial interest in Milligan was at the kicking position, where he still figures to be an option for the Bearcats, but the scholarship offer ended up being at wide receiver. Despite his small-ish size for a Division I wideout (5-9, 170), the UC coaches see him fitting into the slot position as a possession-type guy to compliment their downfield options.

Milligan is happy for the chance to prove himself at the wide receiver position.

“I'm just happy to be in the mix,” he says, “and if they have to move me then I’ll be happy to move.” ©