The Cincinnati Bearcats are still working to put the finishing touch on their 2026-27 roster, and the name now in the mix is a familiar one on the transfer market: Dug McDaniel.
Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 reported Saturday that Cincinnati has reached out to the veteran guard as it looks to fill its final roster spot. The timing matters, too, with a judge’s recent ruling declaring all Class of 2022 players eligible and opening up a wider pool of options for teams still hunting for help.
That decision has clearly changed the landscape, and Cincinnati appears to be adjusting accordingly. It also helps explain why things seem to have stalled with Kolby King after earlier reports linked him as the last piece alongside former Utah State teammate MJ Collins.
McDaniel brings a long resume and plenty of production. Over four seasons at three schools, he has averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds, with stops at Michigan, Kansas State and Memphis. He played 60 games at Michigan, 32 at Kansas State and 32 at Memphis.
There’s also a defensive edge to his game. At 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, McDaniel posted a 3.2% steal rate last season, which ranked fifth in the AAC. He also finished 10th in the league in effective field goal percentage at 47%.
Goodman added on X that McDaniel has drawn interest from Arizona State, Stanford, Auburn, Iowa State, USC, Cincinnati, NC State, Utah, Oregon and Duquesne. His agent, Scott Nichols, told The Field of 68 that McDaniel spent his first two seasons at Michigan, his junior year at Kansas State and last season at Memphis.
While Cincinnati sorts through the final piece of its roster, the team is already in the Bahamas for the Baha-Mar Summer Exhibition slate, which got a slight schedule change Saturday. The Bearcats will now face Calgary on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET instead of Monday afternoon.
Cincinnati is still slated to play two exhibition games in the event as Jerrod Calhoun and his staff continue shaping the roster for the season ahead.
In Other News...
Bearcats Added A Forward Fans Will Want To Track Closely
With more than 2,700 players entering the transfer portal after the college basketball season, the market has been flooded with familiar names and fresh starts, but a few additions still stand out for the long view. For Cincinnati, the interesting part is not just who arrived, but the type of profile being added - players whose recent production suggests they could be worth watching well beyond this upcoming season.
Mayes, Dixon and Elamin all landed at new schools with statistical resumes that point to possible NBA draft attention in 2027, which gives their next steps a little more weight than a typical transfer update. For Bearcats fans, that kind of development track is exactly what makes a new forward worth following closely, especially when the portal shuffle is usually about immediate fit but sometimes ends up hinting at a much bigger payoff down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Bearcats Fall Camp Hinges On Two Huge Questions For The Big 12
Fall camp has opened for the Bearcats with a familiar kind of urgency for a team trying to make a jump in the Big 12. Scott Satterfields group spent the offseason reworking a defense that struggled last year, and the early focus has been on playing with more edge, creating turnovers and blending in a wave of 22 new transfers. There is plenty of newness on that side of the ball, but the broader mission is straightforward: clean up the defensive issues that hurt Cincinnati a year ago and give the program a better chance to compete in conference play.
The other side of the equation is just as important, because the offense has a real chance to carry more weight if the line plays the way it is expected to. Much of the attention now falls on JC French IV, who needs to show he can operate comfortably when the pocket gets messy and pressure starts to come from the front and the edges. If the Bearcats are going to look more like a team built for the grind of the Big 12, camp will have to answer both of those questions before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Bearcats Are Turning One Position Group Into A Summer Fan Favorite
The University of Cincinnati is giving fans a chance to get a closer look at one of the most recognizable parts of its roster on Aug. 8, when the program stages a pancake breakfast ahead of an open practice at Nippert Stadium. The day is built around the offensive line, with players serving pancakes, family activities on the schedule and an autograph session to round out a summer event that leans into a playful but fitting theme.
The Bearcats have been promoting that group with a pancake block motif, and there is plenty of reason for it to resonate after last seasons line emerged as a Joe Moore Award semifinalist. With several returning starters back in the fold, the front has become more than just a position group to watch inside the program. It is turning into a small part of the fan experience, too, and August offers an early chance to see how much of that identity carries into camp. [Read more 🡒]