South Dakota transfer OL Joe Cotton commits to Cincinnati

Former South Dakota transfer offensive lineman Joe Cotton, the top available offensive tackle transfer according to On3 Industry Rankings, has committed to Cincinnati, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Cotton will have two years of college eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Cotton is a four-star prospect in the portal who earned Missouri Valley All-Conference honors last season. He chose the Bearcats over interest from the Big Ten’s Michigan and Wisconsin.

Cotton expressed “a lot of interest” in Michigan, according to The Wolverine’s EJ Holland, but the FCS Freshman All-American in 2023 instead opted to join Cincinnati after a recent visit.

Cotton started all 14 games last season as a junior at South Dakota, where he helped the Coyotes to the FCS’s sixth-best rushing offense (215.9 rushing yards per game) and ninth-best total offense (436.9 yards per game) in 2024. He was also instrumental in South Dakota ranking second-best in the FCS in fewest tackles for loss allowed (2.93 per game) and ninth in sacks allowed (0.93 per game).

Cotton joins a Bearcats squad that added 13 transfers during the Winter portal period, following fellow offensive linemen Nolan Latulippe (Albany) and Taran Tyo (Ball State); defensive linemen C.J. McCray (Virginia Tech) and Jaylon White (Old Dominon); defensive backs Tayden Barnes (New Mexico State), Christian Harrison (Tennessee), Matthew McDoom (Coastal Carolina) and Xavier Williams (Middle Tennessee); running back Tawee Walker (Wisconsin); kicker Stephen Rusnak (Charlotte); and receivers Cyrus Allen (Texas A&M), Jeff Caldwell (Lindenwood) and Caleb Goodie (Colorado State).