Jerrod Calhoun just landed the highest-rated recruit in Cincinnati Bearcats history.
Five-star Cincinnati native Kameron Mercer will reclassify into the 2027 class and become the first-ever recruit of his nature to land with the Bearcats. It’s a major win for Calhoun in his first few months on the job since replacing Wes Miller in March.
It’s a hometown fit for Mercer, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard from Princeton High School right there in Cincinnati. He’s currently the No. 4 guard in the Class of 2027 by 247 Sports, and was previously the No. 2 recruit in 2028 by ESPN.
Adam Finkelstein of 247 Sports drafted the following evaluation of Mercer:
“Mercer is fluid with the ball as a handler, generally unselfish, and a quality passer. While he’s more of a straight-line driver than he is dynamic creator, we’ve seen some flashes of his playmaking ability and potential to be a jumbo initiator, or at minimum, a valuable connector. Similarly, he’s not yet a consistent shooter, but has the natural touch to be able to develop that aspect of his game.”
Mercer brings a level of guard play that’s been continually marred by the transfer portal. Jizzle James (12.7 ppg) was an All-Big 12 honoree, but never quite established himself as the floor general needed to move the Bearcats as a contender.
Should Cincy move beyond 18 wins this season, Calhoun’s program will have an interesting picture with a handful of experienced transfers and a high-upside freshman in Mercer steering the ship by 2027.
Next season, Cincinnati is reloading with Akai Fleming (Georgia Tech), Elijah Perryman (Utah State) and Tyler Tejada (Towson) in the backcourt. Calhoun brought another Aggie, Adlan Elamin, a 6-foot-9 NBA prospect, over with him to the lead the block.
