Cincinnati’s roster took some heavy hits to the NFL and the transfer portal, so the Bearcats are going to lean hard on the players who are still here. If they’re going to have any shot at hanging around in the Big12 this season, a few returning names have to step into bigger roles fast.
Isaiah Johnson is one of the clearest candidates to do it. The junior wideout is heading into his second year at Cincinnati after transferring in 2025 from Western Carolina, which also happens to be on the Bearcats’ schedule this season.
Last year, Johnson made his mark as a playmaker, catching 14 passes for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns. One of those scores covered 42 yards, and his 15.9 yards per catch showed exactly why Cincinnati wanted him in the first place.
With Cyrus Allen and Jeff Caldwell now in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, Johnson has a major opening in front of him.
On the other side of the ball, Antwan Peek Jr. gives Cincinnati a different kind of returning presence. A senior and one of the team’s defensive captains, Peek was among the Bearcats’ best defenders last season while lining up at safety.
Under new defensive coordinator Nate Woody, who came over from Army, Peek is moving to linebacker, a spot that should put his tackling and playmaking closer to the line of scrimmage. He played in 13 games and started six, finishing with 60 total tackles, including 27 solo stops.
He also added 2 pass deflections, 1 sack, and 2 forced fumbles.
Peek enters his fourth and final season at Cincinnati with a little extra connection to the program, too. His father was a former Cincinnati basketball player in the early 2000s, and that background only deepens what the Bearcats are getting from him now.
In Other News...
Tony Pike Staying Tied To Bearcats Even As Bengals Role Grows
Tony Pike is adding another prominent seat in Cincinnati football media this fall, joining Dan Hoard on the Bengals radio broadcast team while keeping his place on University of Cincinnati football broadcasts. Hoard has become a familiar voice across both levels of the local football scene, calling Bengals games for 15 years and UC games for 27 years, and Pikes move keeps a former Bearcats quarterback right in the middle of the citys biggest football conversation.
The arrangement also creates the sort of scheduling puzzle that comes with overlapping seasons and overlapping loyalties. Pike will work alongside Dave Lapham on Bengals broadcasts, while Mo Egger is set to cover at least one UC game when the Bengals are in Madrid, a reminder that the Bearcats radio crew will have to stay flexible as the calendar gets crowded. For UC fans, it means one of the programs most recognizable alumni will still be tied to the Bearcats even as his NFL profile grows. [Read more 🡒]
Two Cincinnati Walk Ons Are Forcing Their Way Into The Rotation
As Cincinnati gets deeper into its offseason prep, two walk-ons have started to push their way into the conversation on Scott Satterfields roster. Linebacker George Leibold and tight end Lyviel Waters have drawn praise from the Bearcats coach for the way theyve worked and the kind of presence theyve brought to camp, the sort of climb every program loves to see from players who arrived without much fanfare.
Waters, in particular, has been turning heads with notable plays during offseason work, and Satterfield said hes expected to factor in alongside starting tight end Gavin Grover when the season opens. For a team still sorting out its depth chart, the emergence of players like Leibold and Waters matters because it gives Cincinnati more options, more competition and a reminder that roster spots can be earned in more than one way. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnatis Transfer Class Could Decide How Fast The Bearcats Compete
Cincinnati spent the offseason patching a roster that was hit by graduation, transfers and the NFL, and the answer was a heavy dose of portal work. The Bearcats brought in 22 transfer players to help fill the holes, a group that includes wide receiver Larenzo Fenner from South Dakota, cornerback MJ Cannon from Bowling Green and running backs Cole Tabb from Stanford, Zylan Perry from Louisiana and Gi'Bran Payne from Notre Dame.
How quickly that class comes together will go a long way toward shaping Cincinnatis first steps in Big 12 play this season. The Bearcats need those newcomers to settle into key roles fast, because the margin for error is thinner now and the roster turnover left plenty of jobs open for players who can make an immediate impact. [Read more 🡒]