Scott Satterfield's Cincinnati receives first commitment of the 2026 class from three-star LB Jerimia Collier

Cincinnati achieved a milestone on Saturday as it earned its first FBS and Big 12 home win by shutting out the Houston Cougars 34-0 at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats controlled the game throughout and sealed the win by running out the clock after a fruitless final drive by Houston.

Scott Satterfield's program also had a huge recruitment win as it secured its first commit for the 2026 class earlier that day. Linebacker Jerimia Collier made his commitment during an unofficial visit to the school for the game.

The Bearcats offered Collier back in March and he finalized his commitment in person. The prospect later announced his decision on X.

"COMMITTED!," Collier captioned.

#GOBEARCATS🐾 @CortBraswell @JHSCardinalFB @RecruitGeorgia @CoachCarmichEAL @ChadSimmons_ @JeremyO_Johnson @BigFaceSportss @CoachDaniels06 @GeorgiaPrepMag @NEGARecruits @BALLERSCHOICE1 @CoachMIL1 @JohnGarcia_Jr @BenMoore247."

Collier then shared the reason behind his decision in a statement, via Rivals.

"My decision to come to Cincinnati was based on the environment and atmosphere."

The Bearcats are not done recruiting. They have already offered scholarships to multiple linebackers, including Cincere Johnson, who pledged to Ohio State on Saturday, as well as Kobe Clapper, Storm Miller, Dallas Brannon, Maurice Medley and Karsten Busch, among others.

One notable target is Clapper from St. Xavier High School in Ohio. According to On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Bearcats lead the race for his recruitment with a 20.7% chance of landing the four-star linebacker.

Unranked linebacker Mason Love from Trinity Episcopal High School in Richmond, Virginia also remains a top target. He is being recruited by several schools, with Charlotte currently leading. However, Cincinnati holds a 26.9% chance of securing his commitment.

Jerimia Collier's athletic profile

Jerimia Collier is an outside linebacker for Jonesboro High School in Georgia. Besides Cincinnati, he received more than a dozen offers including from UConn, Maryland, Florida Atlantic, Vanderbilt, Central Michigan and Arkansas State.

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Collier has a lanky frame that resembles former Cincinnati commit Erik Gayle, according to 247 Sports. He excels in both pass coverage and rushing the quarterback.

Collier's relentless pursuit of the football makes him a dangerous edge rusher, while his athleticism allows him to drop back effectively into coverage. He is still unranked by On3 and ESPN, but Rivals has him as the No. 30 linebacker in the 2026 class.