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

For those that do not check the recruiting forum, we got a transfer from
Alabama today- Kyriq McDonald (CB).

I can't remember when the Cats have had such talent and depth at the running back position. None are Seniors this year. Lord forbid someone gets injured but we have enough talent to overcome that situation. Is it football season yet?

(03-31-2019 05:58 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I can't remember when the Cats have had such talent and depth at the running back position. None are Seniors this year. Lord forbid someone gets injured but we have enough talent to overcome that situation. Is it football season yet?

On offense we should be pretty good as I expect they will figure out the Offensive Line. Hopefully Ridder continues his development and we have an abundance of talent at RB and TE. They definitely have to find a way to get all those talented RB’s touches on offense to maximize the offenses potential. The biggest question on offense to me is the WR’s but I expect we will utilize the TE’s and RB’s in the passing game to help. I also expect a WR will a WR will step up.

On defense I’m a little concerned about the Defensive Line. Specifically the interior DL. We have some pretty talented recruits at DE recently that should be ready to step in but replacing Broughton and Copeland. I’m sure Fickell and the defensive staff will figure it out though.

Really exciting time to be a Cincinnati Football fan.

(03-31-2019 06:33 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  On defense I’m a little concerned about the Defensive Line. Specifically the interior DL. We have some pretty talented recruits at DE recently that should be ready to step in but replacing Broughton and Copeland. I’m sure Fickell and the defensive staff will figure it out though.

Really exciting time to be a Cincinnati Football fan.

There's a few question marks but overall the fact that the majority of the roster returns and this staff is in Year 3 doesn't give me pause for too long. We also may have the best safety UC's ever had with another year under his belt making plays all over the field. The schedule is tougher but I think that will make us better toward the end of the year. If we want a shot at getting to the AAC Championship the game at home against UCF is absolutely huuuge. That one is on Friday night.

(03-31-2019 08:50 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 06:33 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  On defense I’m a little concerned about the Defensive Line. Specifically the interior DL. We have some pretty talented recruits at DE recently that should be ready to step in but replacing Broughton and Copeland. I’m sure Fickell and the defensive staff will figure it out though.

Really exciting time to be a Cincinnati Football fan.

There's a few question marks but overall the fact that the majority of the roster returns and this staff is in Year 3 doesn't give me pause for too long. We also may have the best safety UC's ever had with another year under his belt making plays all over the field. The schedule is tougher but I think that will make us better toward the end of the year. If we want a shot at getting to the AAC Championship the game at home against UCF is absolutely huuuge. That one is on Friday night.

Should be a huge game at home against UCF and being at home should be a fun atmosphere. I don’t think we played up to our potential last year versus UCF do hope the coaches and players figure it out and can take the next step.

(03-31-2019 08:54 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 08:50 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  There's a few question marks but overall the fact that the majority of the roster returns and this staff is in Year 3 doesn't give me pause for too long. We also may have the best safety UC's ever had with another year under his belt making plays all over the field. The schedule is tougher but I think that will make us better toward the end of the year. If we want a shot at getting to the AAC Championship the game at home against UCF is absolutely huuuge. That one is on Friday night.

Should be a huge game at home against UCF and being at home should be a fun atmosphere. I don’t think we played up to our potential last year versus UCF do hope the coaches and players figure it out and can take the next step.

That was a tough game for such a young team on the road. The talent/experience level gap overall was noticeable as well. We're one year older and wiser and this time we have them in our house on prime time. I don't believe the talent disparity will be as big either. I also like the fact that we don't play a pansy schedule on the front end. Before UCF we play UCLA, @Ohio St., Miami, O., and @Marshall. Those games should have us more than ready by the time the Knights come to the Natti. Is it football season yet?

Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his speed would compliment Truck.

(03-31-2019 09:04 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 08:54 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 08:50 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  There's a few question marks but overall the fact that the majority of the roster returns and this staff is in Year 3 doesn't give me pause for too long. We also may have the best safety UC's ever had with another year under his belt making plays all over the field. The schedule is tougher but I think that will make us better toward the end of the year. If we want a shot at getting to the AAC Championship the game at home against UCF is absolutely huuuge. That one is on Friday night.

Should be a huge game at home against UCF and being at home should be a fun atmosphere. I don’t think we played up to our potential last year versus UCF do hope the coaches and players figure it out and can take the next step.

That was a tough game for such a young team on the road. The talent/experience level gap overall was noticeable as well. We're one year older and wiser and this time we have them in our house on prime time. I don't believe the talent disparity will be as big either. I also like the fact that we don't play a pansy schedule on the front end. Before UCF we play UCLA, @Ohio St., Miami, O., and @Marshall. Those games should have us more than ready by the time the Knights come to the Natti. Is it football season yet?

Agree our youth was the major factor in not playing up to our potential last year at UCF and I also expect that we will continue to close the talent gap. Fickell has done a great job recruiting and I believe we will get even better recruits in the near future based off our success last year.

(03-31-2019 09:13 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  Agree our youth was the major factor in not playing up to our potential last year at UCF and I also expect that we will continue to close the talent gap. Fickell has done a great job recruiting and I believe we will get even better recruits in the near future based off our success last year.

Just the fact that we won a bowl game for the first time since the Butch Jones regime told me a lot about BDF. Annnd, he has a good blend of intensity and rapport with the players...

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his peed would compliment Truck.

We had alot of issues on ST last year. Hopefully some of our depth in positions like RB can be used there.

(03-31-2019 09:36 PM)jarr Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his peed would compliment Truck.

We had alot of issues on ST last year. Hopefully some of our depth in positions like RB can be used there.

If the Alabama transfer is immediacy eligible I think we just found our new
Punt and kick returner. Also look out for true freshman Tre Tucker as well. He is a burner.

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his speed would compliment Truck.

He's back at full speed. From the sound of things he's doing well this spring.

We have 4 RBs that could start at other schools. How we manage their workload will be quite interesting.

Warren: starter. known commodity. stud.
Doaks: 1b to Warren's 1a. coming off lost season.
McCelland: fastest of the bunch. lightning to most of the other back's thunder. most likely to see uptick in catches this season due to his versatility.
Thomas: ball security issues. absolute tank. potential to be elite.

Tbh, we're so loaded I'm a lil worried about keeping all these guys happy. No one is a SR, so we're looking at a 4 man backfield for a year after this upcoming year. Blessing and potential curse.




mc

(03-31-2019 09:04 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 08:54 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 08:50 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  There's a few question marks but overall the fact that the majority of the roster returns and this staff is in Year 3 doesn't give me pause for too long. We also may have the best safety UC's ever had with another year under his belt making plays all over the field. The schedule is tougher but I think that will make us better toward the end of the year. If we want a shot at getting to the AAC Championship the game at home against UCF is absolutely huuuge. That one is on Friday night.

Should be a huge game at home against UCF and being at home should be a fun atmosphere. I don’t think we played up to our potential last year versus UCF do hope the coaches and players figure it out and can take the next step.

That was a tough game for such a young team on the road. The talent/experience level gap overall was noticeable as well. We're one year older and wiser and this time we have them in our house on prime time. I don't believe the talent disparity will be as big either. I also like the fact that we don't play a pansy schedule on the front end. Before UCF we play UCLA, @Ohio St., Miami, O., and @Marshall. Those games should have us more than ready by the time the Knights come to the Natti. Is it football season yet?

Agreed. It was the perfect storm last year with their place sold out and juiced for Game Day on ABC. UC certainly didn't play its best game but I thought UCF got its fair share of home cooking from the officials too.

Will UCF's starting QB return this year? His backup was plenty good but Milton's quick release made him elite--a nightmare for most any defense.

Let's hope UC has already started planning on how to fill the house that night. A national TV audience (including P5 conference fans) won't care that there are important high school football games in our city that evening. They'll just note the empty seats in Nippert and opine that it's little different from a MAC game.

(04-01-2019 04:25 AM)marcuscan Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his speed would compliment Truck.

Tbh, we're so loaded I'm a lil worried about keeping all these guys happy. No one is a SR, so we're looking at a 4 man backfield for a year after this upcoming year. Blessing and potential curse.
mc

More of a blessing than a curse IMO. It's rare you can go a full season without a running back getting banged up and missing a game or two. We have a brutal schedule and I have a feeling we're going to need all these guys. You play to your strengths and we have some nice depth at the TE position as well. BDF is all about keeping the chains moving and not turning the ball over. Keep your defense off the field and wear the opponent out by the 4th quarter. We have the horses to get it done. Is it football season yet?

(04-01-2019 07:27 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(04-01-2019 04:25 AM)marcuscan Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his speed would compliment Truck.

Tbh, we're so loaded I'm a lil worried about keeping all these guys happy. No one is a SR, so we're looking at a 4 man backfield for a year after this upcoming year. Blessing and potential curse.
mc

More of a blessing than a curse IMO. It's rare you can go a full season without a running back getting banged up and missing a game or two. We have a brutal schedule and I have a feeling we're going to need all these guys. You play to your strengths and we have some nice depth at the TE position as well. BDF is all about keeping the chains moving and not turning the ball over. Keep your defense off the field and wear the opponent out by the 4th quarter. We have the horses to get it done. Is it football season yet?

The days of one featured back carrying the ball 30-35 times a game are over (Mike Warren's production last year withstanding). Even the elite schools are more running back by committee, with the hoss carrying the ball 15-20 times a game and a couple other guys getting significant touches.

(04-01-2019 04:03 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:36 PM)jarr Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his peed would compliment Truck.

We had alot of issues on ST last year. Hopefully some of our depth in positions like RB can be used there.

If the Alabama transfer is immediacy eligible I think we just found our new
Punt and kick returner. Also look out for true freshman Tre Tucker as well. He is a burner.

Bearhawkeye linked an article in the recruiting forum that indicates he has to sit.

(04-01-2019 04:03 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:36 PM)jarr Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his peed would compliment Truck.

We had alot of issues on ST last year. Hopefully some of our depth in positions like RB can be used there.

If the Alabama transfer is immediacy eligible I think we just found our new
Punt and kick returner. Also look out for true freshman Tre Tucker as well. He is a burner.

So they don't just fair catch everything?

(04-01-2019 08:36 AM)eroc Wrote:  

(04-01-2019 04:03 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:36 PM)jarr Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his peed would compliment Truck.

We had alot of issues on ST last year. Hopefully some of our depth in positions like RB can be used there.

If the Alabama transfer is immediacy eligible I think we just found our new
Punt and kick returner. Also look out for true freshman Tre Tucker as well. He is a burner.

Bearhawkeye linked an article in the recruiting forum that indicates he has to sit.

I read that article, and all I have to say is we'll see about that. The NCAA has been granting waivers at a high clip the past two seasons. The reasons for it is laid out in the attached article.

According to the article, last year 79% of waiver requests in football were approved.

https://collegefootball.ap.org/t-g/artic...right-away

(03-31-2019 09:21 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:13 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  Agree our youth was the major factor in not playing up to our potential last year at UCF and I also expect that we will continue to close the talent gap. Fickell has done a great job recruiting and I believe we will get even better recruits in the near future based off our success last year.

Just the fact that we won a bowl game for the first time since the Butch Jones regime told me a lot about BDF. Annnd, he has a good blend of intensity and rapport with the players...

(04-01-2019 07:40 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(04-01-2019 07:27 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(04-01-2019 04:25 AM)marcuscan Wrote:  

(03-31-2019 09:09 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Any word on Gerrid Doaks. We are strong at RB but his speed would compliment Truck.

Tbh, we're so loaded I'm a lil worried about keeping all these guys happy. No one is a SR, so we're looking at a 4 man backfield for a year after this upcoming year. Blessing and potential curse.
mc

More of a blessing than a curse IMO. It's rare you can go a full season without a running back getting banged up and missing a game or two. We have a brutal schedule and I have a feeling we're going to need all these guys. You play to your strengths and we have some nice depth at the TE position as well. BDF is all about keeping the chains moving and not turning the ball over. Keep your defense off the field and wear the opponent out by the 4th quarter. We have the horses to get it done. Is it football season yet?

The days of one featured back carrying the ball 30-35 times a game are over (Mike Warren's production last year withstanding). Even the elite schools are more running back by committee, with the hoss carrying the ball 15-20 times a game and a couple other guys getting significant touches.

Yea, I don’t think anyone really wants Warren carrying the ball 30-35 times a game regularly this season. No reason to wear him down and with the other talented RB’s it’s unnecessary as well.

Hopefully we can utilize at least one of them (McClelland/Doaks?) in the passing game some.

(04-01-2019 09:09 AM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  Yea, I don’t think anyone really wants Warren carrying the ball 30-35 times a game regularly this season. No reason to wear him down and with the other talented RB’s it’s unnecessary as well.

Hopefully we can utilize at least one of them (McClelland/Doaks?) in the passing game some.

McClelland is the "quicks" of the bunch so he'd be a good candidate in this role but I believe even Big Truck can catch the rock if needed as well. What's great with the depth-n-talent at running back is all four of these guys have some unique skill sets that we can feature game-to-game and in-game situations as needed. Did anyone mention that our QB Ridder can run like a gazelle when necessary? Is it football season yet?