2022 First Glance Preview: Cincinnati Bearcats

Written by: Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Week Four: Cincinnati Bearcats

Date & Time: September 24 – Time TBD

Venue: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

TV: TBD

Bearcats at a Glance

Head Coach: Luke Fickell

Entering his fifth season as Cincinnati head coach

Record at Cincinnati: 48-15 (29-9)

Overall Record: 54-22

Last Season: 13-1 (8-0) Lost to Alabama in CFP Semi-Final

Bearcats Returning Leaders

Passing: Ben Bryant (at Eastern Michigan) – 279-of-408 (68.3%) 3,121 yards 14 TDs 10 INTs

Rushing: Corey Kiner (at LSU) 79 carries for 323 yards and 2 TDs

Receiving: Tre Tucker (34 catches for 426 yards  2 touchdowns)

Tackles: Deshawn Pace (LB) 95 Tackles (45 solo), 9.5 TFLs, 4 interceptions

Bearcats Preseason Predictions

Athlon: 1st in the AAC (11-2, 7-1) and a Cotton Bowl projection

Lindy’s: 1st in the AAC and a Cotton Bowl Projection

Pick Six Previews: N/A

Phil Steele: N/A

SP+: 11th

Impact Newcomers for the Bearcats

Ben Bryant – QB transfer from Eastern Michigan

Corey Kiner – RB transfer from LSU

JQ Hardaway – Incoming freshman at cornerback

Biggest Questions Facing Bearcats

1. Can the Bearcats replenish the talent lost on defense?

2. Who will win the quarterback battle?

3. Will there be a hangover from 2021?

Program Preview

The Bearcats are coming off of their best season in program history as they qualified for the College Football Playoff and finished 13-1 with their only loss being to Alabama. Cincinnati is reaping the benefits of football success off the field as well. The Bearcats have the 12th ranked recruiting class in the country for 2023. Also, Cincinnati sold out season tickets for the first time in school history. On top of all that, Cincinnati is prepping for a 2023 move to the Big XII. Right now, life is good for Cincinnati.

Head coach Luke Fickell has the Bearcats primed for a run at another New Year’s Six Bowl and maybe even another College Football Playoff berth. However, Cincinnati has their fair share of questions heading into 2022. They lost an enormous amount of talent on defense to the NFL and have to replace quarterback Desmond Ridder who was the face of the program since 2017.

The Bearcats open the season with a trip to SEC foe Arkansas that will determine what the ceiling is for 2022. A win and the Bearcats can start to dream about another CFP run. The next two games leading up to the IU game will be a home game against Kennesaw State and a rare road trip to Miami (OH).

Offensive Preview

The Bearcats offense will be built upon a the offensive line, a foundation that features three pre-season All-AAC players (James Tunstall, Jake Renfro and Jeremy Cooper), with center Jake Renfro being named a Phil Steele All-American. Lorenz Metz and Dylan O’Quinn round out the starting five upfront, which lost zero starters from 2021.

The Bearcats biggest question on offense comes at the quarterback position where they have to replace Desmond Ridder and his 36 total touchdowns and 3,699 total yards of offense. The Bearcats bring back Ben Bryant, who played in 16 games for UC between 2018-20, threw for over 3,100 yards and 25 touchdowns for Eastern Michigan last season. Bryant is not the threat Ridder was with his legs. Cincinnati will also look to sophomore Evan Prater, a former four-star recruit, who can be more of a threat on the ground. Prater played in seven games last season and threw two touchdowns on 11 attempts and added 111 yards on the ground. This battle should play out all the way to the opener at Arkansas.

The Bearcats will also be looking for a new feature running back as well to replace Jerome Ford’s 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns. Will it be All-American punt returner Ryan Montgomery (46 car. 312 yards) or LSU transfer Corey Kiner (79 car. 323 yards). Both backs are similarly built at 5-foot-10 and just north of 200 pounds, but neither has had the chance to carry a major load. Will UC go with a running back by committee or settle on one of them being the starter?

Cincinnati will look to rebuild their receiving corps as well. The Bearcats lose two of their top four receivers a year ago and return just one starter in Tyler Scott the Bearcats leading returning pass catcher. Along side him will be Tre Turner, an All-AAC kick returner who finished 2021 with 426 receiving yards. Junior Jadon Thompson made 14 catches last season and brings a bigger body to the group.

UC has a major threat at tight end as well. Junior Josh Whyle has the talent to make it to the next level. He was outstanding in 2021 with six touchdowns and 332 yards.

Defensive Preview

The defense was Cincinnati’s most talented group last season and they proved that in the NFL draft as five Bearcats were drafted. This would be a huge blow to most, if not all Group of Five programs, but the Bearcats have some depth to have another very good defense.

The unit will be anchored by pre-season All-American linebacker Deshawn Pace, who made 95 tackles and four interceptions last season. In Cincinnati’s 4-3 defense Pace will be sandwiched between outside linebackers Wilson Huber (15 tackles in ’21) and Jaheim Thomas (23 tackles in ’21) who is just a sophomore.

The defensive line will be headed by defensive end Malik Vann who had 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2021. Jowon Briggs had an impressive sophomore season with four TFLs and three sacks at nose tackle and Jabari Taylor is at the other end position after making 29 tackles last year. None of the starting defensive linemen are listed at over 300 pounds.

The secondary took the biggest hit from the NFL draft and graduation as UC lost starters Sauce Gardner, Coby Bryant and Bryan Cook from their back four. The Bearcats do return safety Ja’von Hicks who made 56 tackles and intercepted two passes a season ago. There is also cornerback Arquon Bush who returns after picking off three passes in 2021. Todd Bumphis is in line to start as a sophomore after playing in 14 games as a freshman at cornerback and senior Jacob Dingle will man the other safety spot. Dingle played in 13 games in 2021 and made 16 total tackles. Incoming freshman JQ Hardaway could be primed to play after enrolling early and drawing comparisons to Gardner.

Special Teams Preview

Special teams was a big reason why Cincinnati came out of Memorial Stadium with a win last season as Tre Turner turned a 21-17 IU lead into a 23-21 deficit with a 99-yard kickoff return. Turner is back returning kicks in 2022 and forms an explosive duo with Ryan Montgomery returning punts.

Cincinnati struggled in the kicking game last season and brought in Deleware transfer Ryan Coe, who hit 14-of-17 field goals, to stabilize the position. Punter Mason Fletcher is back after averaging 42.9 yards per punt last season.

Previous First Glance Previews

Week One: Illinois Fighting Illini

Week Two: Idaho Vandals

Week Three: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers