- Head coach: Scott Satterfield (second season)
- 2023 record: 3-9
- PFF power ranking: 81st
- Chance to win the Big 12: 1%
- Strength of schedule: 51st
- Projected win total: 5.1
- FanDuel win total: 5.5
- 2024 recruiting rank (On3): No. 54 nationally, No. 11 in the Big 12
2023 brought many significant changes to Cincinnati’s program. It was the Bearcats’ debut season in the Big 12 and the first year for Scott Satterfield as head coach. The transition to the new era didn’t go smoothly. Cincinnati finished with a 3-9 record, its worst mark in the 21st century. The Bearcats have a new quarterback in Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby and return all five starters to a strong offensive line, its leading rusher (Corey Kiner) and its top receiver (Xzavier Henderson). The defense has more question marks, though it does feature a star defensive tackle in Dontay Corleone.
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Biggest Strength: Offensive line
Cincinnati returns all five starters to an offensive line that was among the 25 best in college football by PFF grade last season. The star of that unit is right guard Luke Kandra, one of the best interior offensive linemen in America.
Biggest Weakness: Run defense
The Bearcats earned the sixth-worst run-defense grade in the Power Five (62.4) last season and play in a conference where almost every offense has a dominant ground game.
2023 Team Overview
Offense |
||||
| EPA per play | Yards per play | Successful play rate | Explosive run play rate | Explosive pass play rate |
| 0.033 | 5.8 | 36.3% | 17.7% | 12.8% |
| 55th | 63rd | 55th | 36th | T-91st |
Defense |
||||
| EPA allowed per play | Yards allowed per play | Successful play rate allowed | Explosive run rate allowed | Explosive pass rate allowed |
| 0.135 | 6.8 | 37.1% | 23.6% | 18.8% |
| 128th | 130th | 106th | 134th | 131st |
Three Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- QB Brendan Sorsby (Indiana): 69.3 PFF grade
- CB Derrick Canteen (Virginia Tech): 65.6 PFF grade
- CB Mehki Miller (New Mexico State): 75.9 PFF grade
Three Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- S Deshawn Pace (UCF): 70.5 PFF grade
- RB Myles Montgomery (UCF): 84.9 PFF grade
- S Bryon Threats (UCF): 53.4 PFF grade
Quarterback Spotlight: Brendan Sorsby
2023 Grade: 69.3
Key Stat: 67.2% adjusted completion percentage (109th out of 125 quarterbacks with at least 200 dropbacks)
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