UC Bearcats score a key commitment from Ohio Defensive Player of Year from Princeton (2024)

University of Cincinnati football often advertises "Nipp at Night" for their fired-up festivities for evening encounters at Nippert Stadium.

During a key recruiting weekend that wrapped up Sunday, a "night shoot" of videos and photos of some of the recruits and their families made such a big impression on some that the Bearcats scored some rapid commitments.

On the local front, the Bearcats snapped up a commitment from the 2023 Ohio Division I Defensive Player of the Year. Paul "P.J." Nelson is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker who helped Coach Andre Parker's Princeton Vikings go undefeated in the Greater Miami Conference and 12-1 overall last fall.

What sold PJ?

"Coach Cort (linebackers coach Cortney Braswell) made a great impression on me showing me around the city," Nelson said. "It was great and it wasn't just the (night) photos. It was the way everybody was just genuine and real. The love was there. I felt it in the room every day. Everybody wanted to be around everybody and that's a great place to be around. That's some place I want to be."

In addition to the state defensive honor, he was also the GMC Defensive Player of the Year for Coach of the Year Parker. As a junior, in his third year on varsity, he led the league with 12 sacks and had 86 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pick-six.

Pushed by a Bearcat Hall of Famer

Antwan Peek was inducted into the James P. Kelly Athletic Hall of Fame last fall for his run as a pass rusher at UC and NFL career (2003-2008) with the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns. Peek's son is now a Bearcat and he has sung the praises of P.J. Nelson for some time.

"You've got to take care of the hometown talent," Peek said. "I was glad we had a guy on our team that fit the perfect description of what UC football is about. He's a blue-collar guy, rough around the edges a little bit. He's a kid if you can keep him contained, he'll be a special player."

Peek recalls how quickly Nelson moved from the freshman locker room to the varsity due to his maturity.

Nelson has more numbers to come

"I feel like I still have a long, long way to go," Nelson said. "I always walk around with a chip on my shoulder. I know there's somebody out there that's still coming after me. I'm still coming after guys up on the board that's got more (recruiting) stars than me and the offers I don't have. That just drives me every day to go harder in the weight room and get back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. I've just got so much to prove."

Nelson selected the Bearcats from 17 offers, including Boston College, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Liberty, Marshall, Michigan, Michigan State, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Can he be Ohio's top defensive player again?

"He might," Princeton coach Andre Parker said. "We just need him to be more vocal and more of a leader. He's doing really well with it right now. I don't know if he can produce the same numbers, The guys around him are probably more talented and seasoned (than last year). It's going to make it tough to get the same amount of sacks."

Parker credits Nelson as being one of the kids who helped rebuild the Princeton program. Since Parker arrived from Winton Woods, Princeton is 32-6.

"I think people definitely know where he is," Parker said. "I think he'll have a target on his back. I think that's where you go from being good to great is playing with those expectations."

Is he the next great UC linebacker?

Nelson likes the 3-3-5 scheme of new defensive coordinator Tyson Veidt and believes he can make plays no matter where he's inserted.

"That's my type of game, man," he said. "Just let me go free and make great plays on the ball. I can play all three (linebacker spots) Mike, Sam and Will. I feel like I'm a great fit in their defensive scheme."

Said Peek, "He's like a missile once he blitzes. He has that knack for beating blockers on the run. Once he masters the 'dip and grip' and different things he's going to be a good one. We might be seeing one of the better linebackers coming through UC before it's said and done."

First things first for Nelson is his senior season. The Vikings have only lost six games in his three years there and weren't beaten until the playoffs last Nov. 10 by Lakota West. All indications are the talent is through the roof again at Princeton.

"Yeah, we're coming for it again!" Nelson said.

A 4-star added

While Nelson is a three-star recruit for the time being, the Bearcats did pull in a four-star on Saturday when 6-foot-3.5, 220-pound Mikkel Skinner made his announcement online. Skinner is a wide receiver from Greer, South Carolina who's rated No. 14 at his position and No. 3 in South Carolina by 247Sports.com.

For Riverside High School he caught 44 passes for 651 yards and 10 touchdowns and also ran the ball 68 times for 588 yards and five scores. For good measure this winter he led Riverside to the AAAA South Carolina state basketball title with a double-double.