Cincinnati has an incredibly proud football tradition that it built in recent years under former head coach Luke Fickell, but after he left to take the Wisconsin job ahead of the 2023 season, the program took a major step back.
The Bearcats hired Scott Satterfield and tasked him with being the only first-year head coach in the Big 12 last season. How did that go for them? A 3-9 overall and a 1-8 mark in Big 12 play.
In short, it was the worst time possible for the Bearcats to undergo a coaching change, but now it’s over, and they can build on that heading into Year 2.
What should Cincy fans expect in 2024? Here’s an overview of the team and how we see things playing out over the next several months.
Cincinnati Offense: Kiner, Henderson, and A Whole Lotta Beef
In 2023, the Cincinnati rushing offense was among the best units in the country, ranking sixth nationally with 217 yards per game. Unfortunately, the unit couldn’t throw its way out of a paper bag, and the offense ranked 86th nationally with 24.1 points per game.
Korey Kiner returns after a 1,000-yard season and will be behind an offensive line that returns all five starters from a year ago: John Williams, Dartanyan Tinsley, Gavin Gerhardt, Luke Kandra (2nd-Team All-Big 12), and Deondre Buford. This will undoubtedly be a strength of the team, and a welcome sight to incoming quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
Sorsby, the starter at Indiana last season, was excellent in the red zone for the Hoosiers last season, which will be a major key for the Bearcats after their well-documented struggles there a season ago.
He’ll have some good targets to work with in the passing game as well, with leading receiver Xzavier Henderson back for another year, plus the addition of Tony Johnson and Tyrin Smith bring experience and production to the room as well.
The Bearcats’ offense should be much improved in 2024, and all that would take is being more effective in the red zone. Leaving with seven points rather than three will tune this offense right up, and it appears they have the tools to get it done
Related: Dontay Corleone ‘Back Working Out With Team’ After Medical Scare
Cincinnati Defense: Can the Bearcats Replicate ISU’s 3-3-5?
While Desmond Ritter and the Cincinnati offense in 2021 were certainly part of the winning equation, it was the Bearcats’ defense that led the program to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. However, two years removed from that CFP appearance, the Bearcats’ defense was atrocious, ranking 102nd nationally with 30 ppg allowed and 129th nationally with 6.7 yards per play allowed.
Scott Satterfield brought in Tyson Veidt from Iowa State in hopes that he can replicate the kind of success that Jon Heacock has had with the 3-3-5 in Ames, and the Bearcats do have some pieces in place to make it work if they can install quickly.
Dontay Corleone appears to be back on the road to play this season and is a textbook anchor for a three-man front, while Jared Bartlett and Darian Varner should flank him perfectly.
Jack Dingle returns at linebacker and should benefit from Veidt taking over the defense. The backend of the defense is completely remodeled with six transfers coming into the group. Virginia Tech transfer Derrick Canteen and Ohio State transfer Kye Stokes should both help shore things up.
Cincinnati Special Teams: The Big Guns Are Back
Former All-American punter Mason Fletcher is back and will handle punting duties, while Carter Brown returns and will handle the placekicking duties after going 15-of-19 on field goal attempts with a long of 54 yards last year.
Prediction: Cincinnati Claws to 6-6
Before diving into the roster reconstruction, I assumed that the Bearcats were set to repeat their 3-9 nightmare from a season ago. However, after taking a closer look at things, I actually like what Satterfield has done this offseason to make some changes, and the schedule sets up nicely. I think Cincy has the pieces in place to get back to a bowl game, and after last season, that’s a huge improvement.
Related: Predicting Every Game of the 2024 Big 12 Football Season
