Cincinnati enters this season with momentum in the Big 12, but the next step is where the pressure really starts to bite.
The Bearcats have been trending upward since moving into the league in 2023, and last season’s bowl trip marked their first since 2022. Still, the finish line has been a problem. Cincinnati was 7-1 and sitting at No. 16 in the AP poll before dropping its last five games, and that late collapse has kept coach Scott Satterfield squarely under scrutiny.
This year’s challenge looks just as unforgiving. Cincinnati had to rebuild heavily again, especially at the skill spots, and the schedule gives it little room to breathe.
The Bearcats will host No. 12 Texas Tech and 21st-ranked Utah, while also traveling to face No.
14 BYU and No. 23 Houston.
The final home date with Colorado on Nov. 21 could wind up being the one that decides whether Cincinnati gets back to a bowl and whether Satterfield gets a fifth season.
The strongest part of the roster is up front, where the offensive line stands out as one of the better units among Power Four programs. Left guard Evan Tengesdahl, left tackle Joe Cotton and center Taran Tyo are all viewed as possible Day 2 NFL draft picks. Tengesdahl enters the season as a preseason AP All-America, and the group allowed only eight sacks last year, second-fewest in the FBS.
That kind of protection will matter even more because the offense is breaking in new pieces everywhere else. Georgia Southern transfer JC French IV is the new quarterback, and while he doesn’t bring the same dual-threat element Brendan Sorsby did, he did throw 20 touchdown passes against eight interceptions last season. Cincinnati also has a new running back and new receivers, which means French will be asked to do more than just manage the position.
The Bearcats will need him to help lengthen drives, too. Last season, Cincinnati finished last in the FBS in time of possession at under 25 minutes per game, and it also ranked last in first downs allowed. Those numbers put even more stress on a roster already trying to absorb turnover.
Defensively, the staff brought in Nate Woody from Army to run a 3-4 system built around pressuring the quarterback rather than sitting back in coverage. Most of the starters from last season are gone, but the Bearcats do bring back their two best defenders in Antwan Peek Jr. and Johnathan Thompson. Peek is shifting to outside linebacker so he can attack the passer more often, while Thompson posted 8 1/2 tackles for loss last season.
There’s also a weapon in the kicking game if Cincinnati ends up in tight, field-position-heavy contests. Punter Max Fletcher returns after averaging 45.4 yards per punt and earning All-Big 12 second-team honors.
The roster changes are significant across the board. Cincinnati added JC French IV from Georgia Southern, EDGE Thomas Johnson from North Carolina Central, WR Cade Wolford from Kent State, LB Filip Maciorowski from Northern Illinois and WR JV Gibson from Oklahoma.
At the same time, the Bearcats lost several major pieces, including QB Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech before being ruled ineligible by the NCAA due to gambling, S Christian Harrison, LB Jake Goldway, WR Cyrus Allen and TE Joe Royer.
The key stretch on the schedule starts early and keeps building. Cincinnati’s biggest games include Kansas State at home on Sept.
26, Texas Tech at home on Oct. 25 and BYU on the road on Nov. 28.
In Other News...
Bearcats Suddenly Face A Roster Fight That Could Impact MJ Collins
The Bearcats are waiting on a pair of legal developments that could shape their roster before the season gets going, with MJ Collins right in the middle of it. A Colorado court has granted the NCAAs stay request in NCAA v. Wisne, temporarily taking away fifth-year eligibility protections for qualifying Class of 2022 athletes, while the Ohio Court of Appeals has also issued a stay involving Collins and any possible 15th roster addition from that same class.
For Cincinnati, the timing matters because the program is still awaiting final decisions before knowing how Collins fits into the upcoming season. Oral arguments in Ohio are set for Sept. 22, and until those cases are resolved, the Bearcats are left navigating a roster question that could alter how they finish putting the group together. [Read more 🡒]
Jerrod Calhouns First Bearcats Schedule Brings Early Pressure
Jerrod Calhouns first season guiding Cincinnati now has a non-conference roadmap, and it does not leave much room for easing into the job. The Bearcats have unveiled a schedule that mixes exhibition dates with the usual buy games, while also putting some of the sports familiar heavyweight names on the calendar, giving the new coach an immediate look at where his team stands.
Ohio State, Illinois, Minnesota and Xavier are all part of the early slate, a lineup that should bring plenty of attention before league play ever arrives. The opening exhibition is set for October 7, 2026, and for a program trying to establish a new voice under Calhoun, the early weeks figure to say a lot about how quickly Cincinnati can settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Bearcats Still Have One Big Question Heading Into Boston College
Cincinnati wrapped up 2026 fall camp with its final scrimmage and has moved into game-week preparation for Boston College, a point in the calendar where practice shifts from evaluation to sharpening the details that matter in September. Scott Satterfield came away encouraged by what he saw on defense, especially the way the unit tackled and held up in goal-line situations, while quarterback JC French IV continued to show the kind of steady progress the staff has wanted through camp.
Frenchs development has been a steady talking point for the Bearcats, and quarterbacks coach Pete Thomas pointed to the way he has handled the full stretch of camp with resilience. Even so, there is still a lingering piece of the picture Cincinnati has not fully solved before the opener, which is why the offenses first real test against Boston College will tell a lot about how far the quarterback room has come. [Read more 🡒]