Luke Fickell has made it a point during his four-year tenure as football coach at the University of Cincinnati to stay close to home and heavily recruit within the talent-rich state of Ohio.
That strategy paid off once again for the Columbus native Friday night.
Four-star Kettering Archbishop Alter High School defensive tackle Derrick Shepard announced his intention to continue his education at UC and play for Fickell.
Shepard is the fifth 2022 commitment for the Bearcats and the highest-rated defensive commitment in program history, edging 2022 four-star linebacker Melvin Jordan, who committed to Cincinnati last month.