Ohio's Mr. Football commits to University of Cincinnati

Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio) senior running back Akise Teague verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati on Saturday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

It was a significant pledge for the Big East program. Teague, who was named Ohio's Mr. Football by the Associated Press this season, also had offers from Wisconsin and several Mid-American Conference schools. He also considered Penn State.

Teague, who is 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, rushed for 2,492 yards on 229 carries this season. He had 35 receptions for 842 yards. He had 4,388 all-purpose yards and 48 total touchdowns.

Teague helped lead Ursuline (15-0) to its third consecutive Division V state title earlier this month. Ursuline became just the sixth school in Ohio High School Athletic Association history to win three consecutive state football titles.

Ursuline also won the state title in 2000.

Teague scored five times in the state championship win over Coldwater Dec. 4 in Canton. He finished with 19 carries for 249 yards and four receptions for 94 yards, according to the OHSAA.

"Teague is by far the fastest rising prospect in Ohio this season," said Mark Porter, director of ScoutingOhio.com. "…With a rare combination of power and quickness, it's almost impossible to tackle him one-on-one. Once Teague hits the field for Cincinnati you can expect him to make big plays with the ball in his hands."

This was the second commitment of a local product in two days for the Bearcats, who received word from Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio) senior linebacker Andrew Smith on Friday.

Smith, one of Ohio's top players in the 2011 class, made his commitment during a visit to the UC campus this weekend.

"He's interested in communications and broadcasting so he likes what they offer academically," Colerain coach Tom Bolden said. "Plus he feels he can play relatively early. And he likes (UC) head coach Butch (Jones) and the staff. He sees the potential of how good they can be."

Smith, who is 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, led the Greater Miami Conference with 10 sacks during the regular season. He helped lead the Cardinals to a 10-0 regular season.

Smith also had offers from schools that included Virginia, Stanford, Minnesota, Ball State and Marshall.