JC French IV is stepping into Cincinnati with a clear priority: handle pressure better and make that part of his game a real asset.
The new Bearcats quarterback was one of four players who joined Scott Satterfield at Big 12 Media Days this week, along with Evan Tengesdahl, Taran Tyo, and Antwan Peek Jr. That setting gave French a chance to talk through the progress he’s made over the past six months in Cincinnati’s offense, and the biggest point of emphasis was obvious.
French is coming off a productive year at Georgia Southern, where the 6-foot-1, 205-pound quarterback threw for 2,929 yards with 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He finished with a 58.1 ESPN QBR, which ranked 78th nationally, and a 67.3 Pro Football Focus grade on 842 snaps last fall. Over his career, he has 815 attempts, 5,882 passing yards, and 38 touchdowns as a two-year starter for the Eagles.
The one area he knows has to improve is how he deals with pressure. French posted a 21.7% pressure-to-sack rate last season in the Sun Belt Conference, a number that ranked 89th nationally. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is coming off a season in which Brendan Sorsby posted a 6.1% pressure-to-sack rate, which ranked second-best nationally.
"I think that's something that I've been improving my game on," French said about handling pressure. "I plan it to be a strength this year.
Sacks are just as much a quarterback stat as they are a line stat. I think the quarterback play last year helped them do that, so I'm trying to do things at the same level, so they can have the fewest amount of sacks.
So I think we're gonna have a great season."
Beyond protection and pocket management, French said the offseason has been about building chemistry with pass-catchers and establishing leadership. By his account, that part of the transition has gone smoothly.
"It's all been better than I anticipated, just because the whole collective mindset in the building," French told Dan Hoard about his experience so far. "I think everybody thinks as one.
We all want the same goal at the end of the day. I think the leaders up top do a really good job of pushing the culture inside of our football program, and I think that just sets us up for success throughout winter, summer, and ultimately the season."
Cincinnati enters the year looking to keep pushing its win total upward after doing that in each of the past two seasons. French’s early focus is simple: keep the offense on schedule, keep the sacks down, and make sure the Bearcats’ new quarterback situation keeps moving in the right direction.
In Other News...
Bearcats Lineman Sends Strong Message About Cincinnati's New Quarterback
With Brendan Sorsby gone and a new season already taking shape under Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati has spent the spring sorting out what its offense will look like in 2026. The most important transition is at quarterback, where transfer JC French IV has stepped into the mix after arriving from Georgia Southern, and the early read from inside the building has been encouraging. Offensive lineman Evan Tengesdahl has been among the players watching that change up close, and the Bearcats are leaning on a front that returns key pieces from a group that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.
For Cincinnati, the lines continuity matters almost as much as the quarterback change itself. If the Bearcats are going to keep pace with or improve on last seasons offensive production, French will need time, trust and a room full of veterans who can help him settle in quickly. Spring workouts are only part of the picture, but they have already given the Bearcats a first look at how the new quarterback fits into a unit that expects more from itself in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Jerrod Calhoun Is Lining Up Another Major Test For Cincinnati
Jerrod Calhoun is still putting his stamp on Cincinnatis non-conference future, and the latest step is a home-and-home series that would give the Bearcats another sturdy measuring stick before league play begins. The deal is agreed to in principle, which keeps it from being fully official just yet, but it fits the kind of scheduling approach Cincinnati has been building around: challenging games, recognizable opponents and a slate that should tell a lot about where the program stands.
The series also reflects the behind-the-scenes work that often shapes these matchups, with John Cunningham and Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle helping move it along. Minnesota has been active on the roster front and has shown enough recent progress to make this a worthwhile test, and it adds another layer to a non-conference schedule that already has plenty of familiar pressure points for Cincinnati. [Read more 🡒]
NCAA Eligibility Fight Could Suddenly Impact Cincinnatis Roster Plans
A Hamilton County court ruling could ripple into Cincinnatis roster planning in a hurry, as the NCAAs new five-to-play-five eligibility model faces another legal challenge from a group of basketball players in the high school Class of 2022. The dispute centers on whether athletes who have already used up eligibility under the old system should be barred from getting another year, and it has already created uncertainty for programs trying to map out their transfer options.
For the Bearcats, the timing matters because the transfer market is still taking shape and any change in who can enter it can alter the board quickly. A pretrial conference is set for August 4, and until then Cincinnati and other programs will be watching closely to see whether the case opens the door for more players to pursue one more season, or whether the NCAAs new framework holds firm. [Read more 🡒]