Cincinnati Bearcats 1st major offer for Texas QB Jake Strong

Despite heavy interest from a number of top programs, Justin (Texas) Northwest 2023 quarterback Jake Strong has patiently been waiting for his first major scholarship offer to materialize.

But Strong’s wait officially ended on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound quarterback announced on social media Tuesday that he picked up an offer from the Cincinnati Bearcats.

“Blessed to be offered by top-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats,” Strong tweeted.

Strong also thanked Cincinnati quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli for “stopping by to check him out.” Coaches are able to visit high schools during the contact period, but they are limited to only observing or bumping into a prospect. They’re unable to have lengthy discussions with players.

That being said, the Bearcats’ offer is the first major offer for Jake Strong. He was previously offered by Western Kentucky and Illinois State.

“It means a lot,” Strong said about the offer. “Being able to enjoy the fruits of my labor feels really good. Goals are just goals without a plan and the plan is paying off. It takes a village to be successful and I’m grateful for everybody in my circle.”

Jake Strong could be on verge of more offers

Jake Strong also just returned from a Junior Day visit to Penn State. It was his first visit to Happy Valley. He’s also been to K-State twice and taken other visits to Auburn, Baylor and Oklahoma.

While Cincinnati is his first big-time offer, it likely won’t be his last.

Strong is coming off an outstanding junior season in which he claimed District 3-5A-I MVP honors. He threw for 2,334 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior. He threw for 2,319 yards and 29 scores in 2020 as a sophomore.

K-State has been one school that has shown a lot of interest. But the Wildcats could be waiting to see what happens with in-state quarterback Avery Johnson. But Jake Strong has been to Manhattan twice and the Wildcats are definitely looking hard at him. Strong said he’s built a strong bond with K-State offensive coordinator and former Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein.

Penn State also certainly has him on its radar after the Junior Day visit. He will also be at Texas Tech next weekend for a one-on-one visit with the Red Raider coaches.

And now that he has his first major offer, it wouldn’t be a shock to see more schools jump into the mix. That’s normally what happens with quarterbacks. Once one big school offers, others jump into the fray.