The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(01-07-2022 02:36 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  May the best man win, but I take comfort with the possibility of a 22 year old 5th year guy who threw over 3000 yards and and ranked 11th in the nation in completion %, over a kid who has thrown 11 passes. Especially with a new OC.

He played very well on a not very good team. Very interested in what he can do with the weapons UC has. I'm obviously excited for prater as well, but with him I think we're looking at a 2018/2019 type of offense. I think Ben opens up the passing game a lot

Ja'von Hicks just announced his return - much needed experience in the defensive backfield.

Bearcats had a great season in 2009 with Pike and Collaros both playing significant time and roles in our success. We had a reliable placekicker in Rogers that year: hopefully Coe is successful in that role. If we also come close to finding players to match what Gilyard and Pead did in 2009 we might have a formidable offense next year.

(01-07-2022 03:50 PM)cincybb51 Wrote:  Bearcats had a great season in 2009 with Pike and Collaros both playing significant time and roles in our success. We had a reliable placekicker in Rogers that year: hopefully Coe is successful in that role. If we also come close to finding players to match what Gilyard and Pead did in 2009 we might have a formidable offense next year.

They didn't play interchangeably though. Zach only started playing in 2009 after Tony got hurt. For the final regular season game against Illinois, they did interchange, but that was because Tony was still not 100%. This is why it is important for the staff to get an experienced QB on the roster-- regardless of who will be the starting QB in the fall, prior to adding Bryant the options were going to be three guys who have a total of 11 pass attempts to their name. If Prater is the guy we hope he is and he gets the start, if he goes down they would be extremely thin without adding an experienced QB.

(01-07-2022 03:10 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-07-2022 08:11 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-07-2022 07:14 AM)doss2 Wrote:  

(01-07-2022 02:55 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-06-2022 07:16 PM)doss2 Wrote:  UC worked with EMU to place him at EMU.

If this practice becomes widespread, it would raise all sorts of new issues for the NCAA to deal with.

Would each P5 team end up with a G5 farm team?

It's a mad, mad, mad, mad new world.

I do not see the NCAA concern. Bryant has free will. He can return or not as he chooses.

I would also add, Bryant was able to do this because of the free Covid Transfer on top of the new standard 1-free transfer...that won't be the case after 3 years, so it isn't really going to be an issue.

I don't mean there's a violation of NCAA rules. I mean that the lower-level schools aren't going to like being farm systems.

There's a LOT more lower-level schools in D-1 than elite schools. (remember there's 350 D-1 members)

They'll put up with NIL money (because they never stood a shot at top prospects anyway). But I don't think they'll put up with free agency if it results in them losing all their top players to the big schools after putting in the time & effort to develop them.

It isn't a violation...I was saying this was only able to happen because Bryant essentially had two free transfers,
(COVID freebie and a Grad Transfer) something that will be impossible in the future. You can't do what he did and NOT lose a year of eligibility along the way now, so the "farm system" model would basically cost a kid a year on top of switching schools twice....not worth it for any involved.

Aha, that makes sense. Good to hear that we're the only ones ever able to pull off this loophole

I could see the top schools advising a recruit to sign with a lower level school and to wait for the call up.

What is happening now (except the Covid transfers) reminds me very much of 1977 in MLB. The doors opened up and everyone, save the Yankees, were trying to figure out the best way to deal with free agency. In the beginning, teams ended up overpaying for talent. After several years, the market adjusted.

(01-07-2022 09:10 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  I could see the top schools advising a recruit to sign with a lower level school and to wait for the call up.

What is happening now (except the Covid transfers) reminds me very much of 1977 in MLB. The doors opened up and everyone, save the Yankees, were trying to figure out the best way to deal with free agency. In the beginning, teams ended up overpaying for talent. After several years, the market adjusted.

I dont know that you'd be able to talk a kid into doing that, and I doubt many coaches would waste their time rather than just going after the top talent instead.

(01-07-2022 10:22 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I don’t really root for one kid over the other. As long as there is open competition, I root for one to clearly earn the job.

If Prater can’t win the job over Bryant, so be it. Means we needed an upgrade. If he does, great. More depth.

My guess is we could have a two headed QB to start next season.

EMU lost there other QB Preston Hutchinson out of Mason to UTC. No wonder:

Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams gets million-dollar offer to play at Eastern Michigan


Charlie Batch

Caleb Williams
Tyler J. Davis, Detroit Free Press
Thu, January 6, 2022, 5:51 PM·3 min read
In this article:


Former NFL quarterback

Caleb Williams


Or, in the age of name, image and likeness compensation, a person (of certain means) could use $1 million to convince a star athlete to be an Eagle.

Former EMU standout and Super Bowl champion Charlie Batch chose the latter Wednesday while trying to recruit Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams to Ypsi.

From the "Did you Know" file.

1996 PLAYER Luke Fickell's senior year, OSU had a 2 headed QB offensive attack. Joe Germaine rotated with Stanley Jackson. Germaine threw for 15 TD's while Jackson threw for 12 TD's. They went 11-1 that year and won the Rose Bowl and ended up ranked #2 in the country. Although Jackson was thought of as the "runner", he only ran for 138 total yards and 2 TD's on the season.

2008 ASSISTANT COACH Luke Fickell was part of an OSU team who rotated senior Todd Boeckman and (highly ranked/touted) freshman Terrelle Pryor. Boeckman threw for 5 TD's while Pryor threw for 12 and ran for 6. They finished 10-3 and ranked #10.

2011 OSU HEAD COACH Luke Fickell rotated QB's Braxton Miller and Joe Bauserman. Miller threw for 12 TD's and ran for 7. Bauserman threw for 5 TD's and ran for 1. They finished 6-7.

What does this all mean? Probably nothing . But it shows that CLF has some background with rotating QB systems. We could see a Bryant-Prater combo offense next year.

(01-07-2022 03:48 PM)geef Wrote:  Ja'von Hicks just announced his return - much needed experience in the defensive backfield.

Great to have Hicks back!

Assuming the other safety spot will be heavy competition between more experienced Jacob Dingle and more talented Bryon Threats. I don't see much drop off in safety positions next year.

(01-08-2022 12:48 PM)natibeast2.0 Wrote:  

(01-07-2022 03:48 PM)geef Wrote:  Ja'von Hicks just announced his return - much needed experience in the defensive backfield.

Great to have Hicks back!

Assuming the other safety spot will be heavy competition between more experienced Jacob Dingle and more talented Bryon Threats. I don't see much drop off in safety positions next year.

Cook to either of those two will likely be a drop-off, but I'm excited to see Threats get a solid run...dude is a stud, and honestly had a high level future on offense too.

I feel really good about the offense and the front seven next year. Secondary will see a dropoff (how could it not) but I suspect will still be pretty good.

There are a ton more unknowns, but a decent share of knowns. I'd be shocked if this team isn't in the thick of the Access bowl race.

(01-08-2022 07:38 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  I feel really good about the offense and the front seven next year. Secondary will see a dropoff (how could it not) but I suspect will still be pretty good.

There are a ton more unknowns, but a decent share of knowns. I'd be shocked if this team isn't in the thick of the Access bowl race.

I feel better now that we will have an experienced QB if Prater struggles. A first time starter at AR is scary.

(01-08-2022 07:18 PM)eroc Wrote:  

A Vann-Corleone-Briggs DL is some SERIOUS beef lol.

I wonder if they try to find a speed rusher to emulate what Myjai provided this year

(01-08-2022 11:11 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-08-2022 07:18 PM)eroc Wrote:  

A Vann-Corleone-Briggs DL is some SERIOUS beef lol.

If Corleone starts that should mean that our defensive starting unit will include four Colerain players.
Has Leonard Taylor made any announcement about coming back next year; I think he should be eligible for another year?

(01-07-2022 09:10 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  I could see the top schools advising a recruit to sign with a lower level school and to wait for the call up.

What is happening now (except the Covid transfers) reminds me very much of 1977 in MLB. The doors opened up and everyone, save the Yankees, were trying to figure out the best way to deal with free agency. In the beginning, teams ended up overpaying for talent. After several years, the market adjusted.

Maybe I am showing my age here. Didn't some SEC schools try to stash kids at JC's some years back? (Not just SEC, but that is my primary memory.) I think academic eligibility was part of this also. Of course, I think there are fewer JC's playing now.

With the portal, much easier to transfer up from an FCS school now, no sitting out a year. I have confidence that there is monkey business going on somewhere.

(01-08-2022 11:11 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-08-2022 07:18 PM)eroc Wrote:  

A Vann-Corleone-Briggs DL is some SERIOUS beef lol.

I think Justin Wodtly has a shot at the line up also or has one of the first off the bench. I think he played pretty well in spring ball.