Part of a continuing series examining the Power 5 and top Group of 5 teams for the 2019 college football season.
This time a year ago, Cincinnati Bearcats football was all about finding the positives. Coming off a lucky-to-be 4-8 effort in head coach Luke Fickell’s first season and still recovering from the (pre-candidate) Tommy Tuberville Era, much of the optimism focused on Fickell’s pedigree, his highly touted 2018 recruiting class and the potential for the program to slowly but surely round back into form. With a little luck, maybe they could even make a bowl game.
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After a shocking 11-2 season that was capped off by a dramatic comeback victory against Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl, the positives are suddenly obvious, sparkling, and readily available, breathing life back into Nippert Stadium. Fickell and the Bearcats are now staring down a new, unexpected challenge: high expectations.
“It can be easier when you’re getting criticized because that can make you mad and motivate you. Sometimes it’s more difficult when you get patted on the back and have a little praise,” Fickell said. “I think we’re trying to use all of it as a positive, the energy, the vibe. The reality is recognizing the things that have changed, but also recognizing where we really are. How do you use it all in the right way?”
The brunt of those expectations will fall on redshirt sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder and junior running back Michael Warren II. Ridder, who memorably came on in relief of Hayden Moore in last year’s season-opening upset of UCLA to win the starting job, racked up 3,000-plus combined yards and 25 combined touchdowns (passing and rushing) on his way to earning conference rookie-of-the-year honors. Warren rushed for more than 1,300 yards and tallied a program-record 20 touchdowns, including 19 on the ground.
“The two guys who I think have the toughest job are Desmond and Mike Warren, just in the general sense that they got a lot of notoriety and publicity — well deserved — but a lot, because not only did they play well, but others around them played well,” Fickell said. “How do they handle that, use that as a positive, for their leadership, to grow and be better?”
Fickell will shoulder plenty of the heightened projections as well, though he didn’t necessarily have to. He quickly became a hot name in the coaching rumor mill — predictable, given Cincinnati’s history as a head coach kingmaker, albeit ahead of schedule. Unlike Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly and Butch Jones, and perhaps because of them, the interest in Fickell came after just his second season. And unlike Dantonio, Kelly and Jones, at least for now, Fickell elected to stay. He turned down initial interest from Louisville and Maryland, and only spoke with West Virginia because of his relationship with WVU President E. Gordon Gee (whom Fickell worked under at Ohio State), but ultimately passed on that one as well.
It’s impossible to know what doors another successful season might open for Fickell, but he is blunt about the fact that the next job isn’t the one he’s enamored with.
“I don’t think there’s any place better, to be honest with you. Really. I don’t have a burning desire to take off and go,” he said. “I’ve said this to recruits, I said this when they interviewed me for this job — I’ve never been a guy who jumps and moves. There is not always something better.”
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Content as he might be in the job, it was business as usual for much of the offseason, with little in the way of a victory lap, publicly or privately. Fickell made sure the team celebrated the bowl victory and praised the dedication of his departed senior class for reviving the program, but he also admitted that reflection is not always a personal strength.
“I thought maybe my wife or some of us might go to a dinner or something to celebrate the season, but we never quite did that,” Fickell said. “I probably should spend a little more time, enjoy it for a brief moment, but that’s not always been my best attribute. I tend to move on pretty quick.”
He instead got straight to work on a 2019 season that returns a tool-shed of major contributors on a still-young roster stocked with depth and untapped potential. It will hardly make for a smooth, easy year — the schedule is tougher, and the Bearcats won’t catch anyone by surprise this time. But that’s the tax you pay for those high expectations, a cost Fickell fully intends to cover.
“I get this straight from Jim Tressel: It’s not as difficult to have that great year and win something, but it’s a hell of a lot harder to maintain, sustain and continue to grow it,” Fickell said. “I look at that as the greatest challenge.”
Biggest on-field question
There are actually two, one on either side of the ball: defensive tackle and wide receiver.
The Bearcats had a lot more roster questions at this time last year than they do now, but one of the few areas the 2018 team always felt good about was the interior defensive line, thanks to seniors Cortez Broughton and Marquise Copeland. Those two are gone, forcing a rotating collection of Curtis Brooks, Elijah Ponder, Marcus Brown and Jabari Taylor to replace the combined 101 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and constant strain on opposing offensive lines by two all-conference performers. It’s an admittedly gargantuan task, and one that keeps Fickell and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman up at night more often as the season draws closer.
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There’s a lot of talent and even decent experience among the foursome of sophomores and juniors filling the void, with the coaching staff making an effort to get them as many snaps as possible last season. Each player will have every chance to rotate in and battle it out for starting roles and playing time this offseason. There’s certainly a chance for some or all to eventually make the leap and maintain last year’s level of disruption, but until that happens, a clear strength of an 11-2 squad will remain a prevailing question mark for the sequel.
The wide receiver room is in a similar predicament, having graduated Kahlil Lewis and his team-leading 56 catches, 782 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. Senior Rashad Medaris and sophomore Jayshon Jackson — who both had their share of moments last season when they combined for 750 yards and five touchdowns — will be leaned on in 2019. Both were largely confined to the slot position last season, but they each spent time in spring practice working on the outside, and the coaching staff fully intends to have both on the field together as much as possible.
After that is where the head-scratching starts. There’s potential there, but little in the way of production. Thomas Geddis was underwhelming in 2018, catching 20 passes for 228 yards in 10 starts, but no one among Trent Cloud, Javan Hawes, Malick Mbodj or Jerron Rollins emerged either, with none topping five receptions on the season. Cloud did have a couple of big catches in the Military Bowl victory and flashed the most through spring ball, but no one has yet to fully seized the opportunity. Redshirt freshman Yanez Rogers and sophomore Alec Pierce are two other names who should get more chances this season, and the staff will absolutely have an eye on the transfer portal throughout the spring and summer. L’Christian “Blue” Smith, who was recently confirmed to have left Ohio State, seems like a name to watch.
Fickell’s favorite coaching phrase might be “healthy competition.” It’s the stick that guides each spot on the depth chart, with the carrot of hard-earned playing time hovering at the end. Ideally, this competition causes a logjam of starter-worthy candidates at each position battle. That hasn’t quite been the case just yet at defensive tackle or wide receiver, but the hope is that quantity will breed quality at each spot by the time UCLA comes to Nippert Stadium for the season opener on Aug. 29.
Depth chart analysis
Quarterback: It’s almost comical to think that the most intriguing storyline of last offseason was whether the Bearcats would land Ohio State quarterback transfer Joe Burrow. When the Ohio native ultimately selected LSU, it opened the door for the Moore versus Ridder battle that developed into an adorable buddy cop storyline. Desmond Ridder, the hot young upstart, came on, Matt Saracen-ed a comeback in the Rose Bowl and never looked back, scrambling and slinging his way into hearts and endzones every Saturday. Moore admirably receded while staying prepared and supportive, and then got one hell of a curtain call.
“I always believed Des was going to be that,” said Fickell, while also acknowledging that Ridder got there faster than anticipated. “Coach Tressel always taught us that things work themselves out, and there is no better example than that one. Joe (Burrow) had a great season himself, and in turn, our program got a lot better with the season that Des had and the relationship between he and Hayden.”
Ridder entered 2019 as the presumptive field general, with added signal-calling responsibilities and a little extra swagger to boot, but Fickell isn’t willing to coronate him just yet. The healthy competition dogma reigns supreme, with redshirt freshman Ben Bryant standing in the way of complacency.
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“One of our big focuses this spring was to develop the hell out of our so-to-speak second-team quarterback because there is nothing better than competition,” Fickell said. “I think that’s what Des enjoys as well. It’s going to be another example to our locker room on how you’re supposed to go about things.”
Bryant was actually the quarterback-of-the-future in the eyes of many when he signed in the 2018 recruiting cycle, a prized prospect and one-time Wisconsin commit with a bazooka arm. Ridder’s ascendance swiftly superseded that narrative, though it hasn’t stopped the UC staff from giving Bryant a fair shake. Smart money is still on Ridder to retain his starting role, but a second-straight quarterback competition signals Fickell’s desired culture loud and clear.
Third-stringer Jake Sopko won’t factor into the weekly gameplan unless disaster strikes, but the junior still deserves to be recognized for his national treasure of a personality, on and off the field.
Running Back: It’s an embarrassment of truck-sticking riches. Junior Michael Warren II is fresh off a debut starting campaign that earned him the nickname “The Truck” and prime real estate in the program’s record book. The diesel-fueled workhorse should actually be asked to carry less of the load thanks to redshirt junior and 2017 leading rusher Gerrid Doaks — who is back healthy after missing all of 2018 with a sports hernia — along with cruise-and-bruise sophomores Charles McClelland and Tavion Thomas, who combined for 10 rushing touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards on the ground. The shifty McClelland will be a chess piece in the passing game as well on various screens and wheel routes, and the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Thomas is a genuinely terrifying force carrying the rock.
The wealth of talent is so deep that fifth-string freshman Ryan Montgomery, who raised some eyebrows in spring practice, will have a near-impossible shot at seeing snaps in the backfield. Last year’s injury to Doaks, who had been penciled in as the starter during fall camp, is an example of why Fickell and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock believe they can never have too much depth in that room. Still, finding a way to meaningfully distribute touches on offense is the most likely challenge with this group.
Wide receiver and tight end: Until (or if) the team lands reinforcements in the transfer market, Rashad Medaris and Jayshon Jackson are the receiving unit’s top targets, albeit two options with similar styles and skill sets who have yet to prove themselves in a leading role. Behind them are Thomas Geddis, Trent Cloud, Javan Hawes, Malick Mbodj, Jerron Rollins, Yanez Rogers and Alec Pierce, and maybe even a chance for speedy incoming freshman Tre Tucker to mix in. Each will likely feature in packages and situations that play to their strengths, but at some point, two or three out of the group will need to establish identities within the offense. Geddis has the most experience, Cloud is perhaps the most plausible, and Rogers and Pierce arguably have the highest ceilings, a panoply of attributes and personalities that first-year position coach Mike Brown will have to navigate.
Tight end may be the only other position group on the roster that can even sniff the depth and talent of the running back room. Which is important, because even more than last year, the tight ends will be depended on in the passing game. One potential enhancement is implementing the “K” position, a spread-out-wide tight end that the coaching staff has been experimenting with, named for former Bearcats tight end and NFL All-Pro Travis Kelce.
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Senior Josiah Deguara will look to replicate his 468-yard, five-touchdown, second-team all-conference performance from a year ago, with Bruno LaBelle and Wilson Huber behind him (the latter in more of a blocking role) and the young duo of Leonard Taylor and Josh Whyle, both of whom should see more snaps and targets in 2019. Taylor’s 6-foot-5, 255-pound frame and magnetic hands suggest he could be a tough matchup for defenses.
UPDATE 5/3/2019: The Bearcats bolstered the receiving corps for 2019 with the addition of Garyn Prater, a preferred walk-on at Ohio State who transferred to the Bearcats as a scholarship player and will be immediately eligible as a redshirt sophomore. It was a bit of a package deal for the Bearcats, with Garyn’s younger brother Evan – one of the top 2020 quarterback prospects in the state of Ohio – committing to UC as well.
Prater, who had one reception for 13 yards for the Buckeyes in 2018, decided to transfer after spring ball. Having only played two years of football at local Wyoming High School, he impressed the Ohio State staff with his progress and potential but also had a cast of elite prospects ahead of him on the Buckeyes’ depth chart. The opportunity to be a scholarship athlete, paired with the chance to play alongside his younger brother, made the move back home an easy one.
“I had a great time up there, I loved it. I just knew that there more opportunities for me and for my family as well,” Prater said. “The hometown hero thing – our community is so great. Even when I went up there to Ohio State, everyone always had my back. And I know coming back here, the support will be even better.”
On the field, the 6-foot-5 Prater gives Ridder and the Bearcats’ offense a big, physical, athletic target.
“I love to jump and go get it. I’m just a big dude,” Prater said. “I have good speed for my size and I can wiggle a little bit for how big I am. But going up and getting it, that’s my main thing.”
The Bearcats may not be done adding at receiver for 2019 – there’s a good chance they still bring in one more this summer – but Prater should have a good chance to earn immediate playing time on the outside.
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Offensive Line: The upfront bio has a vibe similar to that of the quarterback position, in the sense that what was once a looming unknown has transitioned to a foundational strength in less than a year – even more impressive considering the unit lost three starters from 2018.
Fickell has said repeatedly, from the moment he took the reigns, that he wants UC to be an “offensive-line driven program,” and heading into his third season, he already appears to have done so. Back are sixth-year right tackle Chris Ferguson and fifth-year right guard Morgan James. Gone are left tackle Dino Boyd, left guard Kyle Trout and center Garrett Campbell. In their places are sophomore left tackle James Hudson, a Michigan transfer the staff is optimistic will receive a waiver to play immediately, redshirt freshman left guard Jeremy Cooper, and sophomore center Jakari Robinson, who started six games last season when Campbell was out with a broken ankle. Hudson is dripping with potential, Cooper is regularly hailed as one of the strongest, most athletic specimens on the line (and the whole team), and the staff raves about the progress Robinson has made since last season, maturing significantly on and off the field.
Assuming there are no hang-ups with Hudson’s waiver, position coach Ron Crook feels great about the state of his starting five, and there’s a growing sense that the unit has a chance to be special. As far as the two-deep, there’s a lot of raw, untapped potential amongst Lorenz Metz, Vincent McConnell, Colin Woodside, Dylan O’Quinn and Darius Harper. Woodside has been tasked with learning backup snapping duties but is a natural guard, and the twin towers of 6-foot-9, 322-pound Metz and 6-foot-7, 318-pound Harper have the talent and size to be absolute barricades in the trenches at some point.
Defensive Line: Michael Pitts is the only returning starter from last season, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound junior at the unit’s hybrid, weak-side JACK end who registered four sacks. He’ll split time with junior Ethan Tucky, who had a strong spring and brings some additional much-needed experience upfront. Redshirt freshman Blake Bacevich has shown some promise as well, but will be hard-pressed to steal snaps.
The foursome of Curtis Brooks, Elijah Ponder, Marcus Brown and Jabari Taylor have the unenviable task of following Copeland, who was a relentless, selfless run-stuffer and double-team magnet at the nose tackle position, and Broughton, whose athleticism and motor haunted interior offensive linemen. And that’s just on the field.
It will be a similar challenge at strong-side defensive end, which loses Kimoni Fitz and his second-team all-conference effort. Sophomore Myjai Sanders seems the most likely candidate after spring ball, a freakish specimen with an unlimited ceiling, but one whose concentration and temper can wander at times. Senior Kevin Mouhon is working his way back after missing last year with a torn ACL and should rotate in, along with sophomore Malik Vann, who also has the size to kick inside. A few in that unit will need to take a leap if they want to replicate the 83 tackles for loss and 32 sacks recorded a season ago, the latter a plus-20 increase from 2017.
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Linebacker: The good, early news for the Bearcats is that last year’s first-team all-conference outside linebacker Perry Young is on track to return from his torn ACL in time for the season opener. Granted, it still might take him some additional time to fully return to his sideline-to-sideline form, but he participated in walk-through portions of spring ball and was clearly struggling to limit his excitement and energy in those scenarios. Bryan Wright returns for his senior and second season at middle linebacker, where he’ll be backed up by Joel Dublanko, who has also worked some outside and who the coaching staff has been very encouraged by this offseason.
Jarrell White, who stepped up in a big way last season when Young went down, will have a similar task this year, whether stepping into the sniper position on the other side of the unit that was held by Malik Clements, or serving as Young’s understudy if his recovery stretches into the start of the season. White admittedly doesn’t have the prototypical size the coaching staff looks for at the sniper position, but UConn transfer and Colerain High School graduate Darrian Beavers should rotate in quite a bit and could have a shot at winning the starting job, if his immediate waiver gets approved. R.J. Potts may get some chances to do the same, but White has proven to be far too prolific a playmaker to keep off the field for too long.
Defensive backs: The secondary may as well have been wrapped in caution tape by the end of spring practice, the cornerbacks in particular. Starting corners Coby Bryant and Cam Jefferies were each sidelined by offseason surgeries, and Arquon Bush and Taj Ward were limited throughout. It got to the point that wide receiver Aulden Knight traded his white practice jersey for a black one and moved to the opposite side of the ball to help even up the numbers. He actually played pretty well, getting his hands on a few interceptions, and though the staff has a successful history of moving players around, whether Knight becomes one of those remains to be seen.
The better news is that at the moment, none of the injuries should force the afflicted players to miss any fall camp when a talented unit will be bolstered by incoming freshmen Justin Harris and Ahmad Gardner. Juniors James Wiggins and Darrick Forrest are back at safety, though if Wiggins has anything resembling a repeat of his 2018 performance, he could be playing on Sundays by next season. The staff is hoping that Howard transfer and Mount Healthy High School graduate Bryan Cook can get an immediate waiver to offer some depth at the safety position; he did break his ankle early in spring practice, but the medical staff is hopeful he’ll be back in time for fall camp. Sophomore Ja’von Hicks could potentially see some snaps as well. The team is also reported to have landed Alabama transfer Kyriq McDonald, who could potentially play at safety and slot cornerback, waiver withstanding. It’s likely he’ll join the team this summer.
Assuming everyone is on the mend come August, the secondary returns nearly everyone from a unit that snagged 11 of the team’s 12 picks in 2018, along with a talented crop of freshmen.
Special Teams: Ray Guy Award Finalist punter James Smith and his boomstick of a left leg return to wreak havoc on opponents’ field position, as does long-snapper Zach Wood. Kickoff duties will fall again to Ryan Jones, who also won the place-kicking duties over Cole Smith during bowl practice last December. The two will get their chance to battle for the starting job again this offseason, along with incoming walk-on transfer Sam Crosa, who bounced from Bowling Green to Western Illinois, where he went 20-24 on field goals the past two seasons. The staff is also hopeful that Ryan Montgomery, despite being buried on the running back depth chart, will be able to return kicks for the Bearcats.
How the Bearcats have recruited from 2016-2019
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Cincinnati’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the American Athletic Conference over the past four years:
Cincinnati’s 2019 recruiting class doesn’t have near the hype of last year’s highest-graded class in program history, but it didn’t need to. With such a young roster, Fickell and the Bearcats were able to hone in more on depth and development projects in this class — prospects such as Dorian Holloway, Eric Phillips, Cameron Jones and Jaquan Sheppard — as well as Ahmad Gardner, Justin Harris and Tre Tucker, who are probably closer to getting on the field.
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Perhaps the most under-appreciated aspect of Cincinnati’s resurgence under Fickell is the way his staff has developed a host of players from Tuberville’s 2016 class and the 2017 recruiting class, which was a mixture of both Tuberville and Fickell signings. That list includes Warren, Ridder, Wiggins, Young, Bryant, Forrest, Doaks, Pitts, White and James Smith, among others.
It also allowed the staff to take its time with a number of those highly touted prospects in 2018, whether via the new four-game redshirt rule or using them mostly on special teams. McClelland, Thomas, Bush and Jackson had chances to shine as true freshmen, but for the majority of them, 2019 will be their first true opportunity to see extended snaps.
Fickell’s competitiveness spills into recruiting as well, and one can trust that it will rear its head yet again the next time he needs a knockout class. But perhaps a bigger point of emphasis in 2019, at least in terms of immediate impact, has been on players landed via the new transfer portal, and the simultaneous growing trend of the NCAA granting immediate waivers to said players. Hudson, Beavers, Cook and perhaps even McDonald – offseason, non-graduate transfers – could all play significant roles on this year’s team.
Fickell admits he isn’t a huge fan of the transfer portal – he feels it makes it too easy for players to transfer, and he would always rather see a player stick it out and make things work with his original team – but he also acknowledges the benefit to a program like UC. And he thinks with the precedent the NCAA has already set with granting players such as Justin Fields and Tate Martell immediate waivers will trickle down. Unless a player’s previous institution chooses to get in the way.
“Right now, I don’t see how guys aren’t going to be eligible. And to be honest, if they aren’t, there is only one thing that will hold them up – it’s going to be the support of the institution they leave,” Fickell said. “We have some kids leaving, and I don’t agree with it or like it, I want them to be a part of our team, but when it comes down to it, my personal opinion is not to hold them back. If you do that, you’re not in it for the right reasons. You start to get selfish, and it’s a personal thing.”
Hudson is undoubtedly the waiver they are banking on the most. He’s taken the first-team reps at left tackle for all of spring practice, and they appear confident it will come through. Beavers is probably the one that remains the most up-in-the-air at the moment, mainly because he transferred within the American Athletic Conference at Connecticut.
Impact of coaching changes
Fickell wasn’t the only one who hung around this offseason. Defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, among others, had chances to head elsewhere, but ultimately elected to stay.
“There are a lot of these guys that had opportunities to get something different,” Fickell said. “I’m not saying it’s better — it might be more money, might be a better title — but it comes down to, What is your definition of better? I think that’s where, when you create a culture, you don’t have guys jumping for something that is ‘better,’ so to speak.”
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The Bearcats did have to hire two new position coaches. Mike Brown comes over from Liberty to replace wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, who took the same job at Maryland. Chad Wilt takes over the defensive line coaching duties from Steve Stripling, who retired. Both moves make for notable changes at the two most vulnerable position groups, but Fickell’s hope is that the combination of some new blood and energy alongside an otherwise familiar staff will continue to have positive ramifications and uphold continuity.
“There is some balance in there. If you lose one or so guys every now and then, you have an opportunity to make your program better. Not to say you’re going to get a better coach, but you’re going to get a better fit for what it is your program needs. But if you lose the core, I think it’s really hard to maintain things that you’ve done,” Fickell said. “If there is nothing more that I asked (of the administration) here, it’s how do we take care of some of these coaches to keep what it is that they’ve done? Otherwise, we’re going to lose them.”
Schedule analysis
It’s definitely more formidable than last year, and the Bearcats will no longer have the advantage of sneaking up on anyone. UCLA comes to Cincinnati to open the season on Aug. 29, but the game that every UC fan has circled is the Sept. 7 matchup in Columbus against Ohio State. Fickell is already aware of how strange it will be to face his alma mater and longtime employer, though he also said that as much as he prefers to shun the spotlight, if it helps to take some pressure off the players that week, he’ll oblige. A home-field Battle for the Victory Bell with Miami and road trip to Marshall finish out the non-conference slate.
The conference matchups are tougher this year as well, with the Bearcats drawing both Houston and Memphis on the road after avoiding them altogether last season, and facing Central Florida early in the schedule on Oct. 4 to kick off league play.
The easy prediction already gaining some traction is that UC could be just as good or better than last year’s squad and still finish with a worse record. It’s why part of Fickell’s message this offseason has been about “embracing reality” – worrying less about the record and more about how well the team and individual players are executing and representing the culture of the programs.
“You try not to judge yourself based on the record. I know everybody else does, and that’s where I say, 11-2, embrace reality – how good are we really?” Fickell said. “It looks good, and down the road you look back and you’ll always be 11-2. But when you’re in the moment, you have to embrace reality.”
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Final Assessment
UC will have to fight off the fears and dangers of complacency in 2019, but boy is that not a far better place to be than where things stood the past few offseasons. Barring injury, the Bearcats should be a strong team again this year, regardless of a tougher schedule and bigger targets on their backs. The players know this – hence the complacency talk – but as Fickell is quick to point out, the overwhelming majority of significant contributors are not far removed from the struggles of 2017.
“There are very few true freshmen who came in and experienced success right away,” Fickell said. “It’s still fresh to us, that four-win, could-have-been-one-win season (in 2017).”
It’s all part of the “embracing reality” mindset, but the same goes for outside expectations. The Bearcats were good last year. They should be good again this year. And the longer the current culture remains in place, the less novel that reality will feel.
(Top photo: Desmond Ridder by Aaron Doster / USA TODAY Sports)