Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Cincinnati Football: Bearcats are building for the long term

By Ryan T. Smith

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 21: Head coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats watches from the sideline during the game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Nippert Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 21: Head coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats watches from the sideline during the game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Nippert Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

A work in progress on offense

The Cincinnati offense is in an odd spot entering 2018. They were pretty consistently poor throughout the 2017 season, ranking 112th in the nation in points per game. Add in the fact that they lose three starters on the offensive line, starting running back Mike Boone, and four of their six leading receivers, and it’s easy to be pessimistic about this unit.

Dig a bit deeper, though, and there are some promising pieces. Senior quarterback Hayden Moore has three years of starting experience under his belt now, and he was serviceable, if not spectacular, in 2017 (2,562 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but a career-low 6.0 yards per attempt).

There’s also exciting, young talent at running back – sophomore Gerrid Doaks tallied 648 yards from scrimmage as a redshirt freshman, while fellow sophomore Michael Warren II, a former high three-star recruit, averaged 6.0 yards per carry in 2017. Add in impressive senior receiver Khalil Lewis, who led the Bearcats with 676 yards receiving and seven touchdowns last season, and it doesn’t take that much mental gymnastics to see the makings of a decent offense.

When will the youth movement begin?

Maybe the biggest question is how soon we should expect the talented youngsters Fickell has brought in to make an impact. The Bearcats’ freshman class includes a remarkable five players ranked among the top 50 prospects in Ohio on the offensive side of the ball alone, and if any of the bunch are able to play right away – perhaps four-star tight end Leonard Taylor, or receiver Meechi Harris, a former Kentucky commit – it would add some serious pop to the offense. And if Cincy limps out of the gate in 2018, might we see Fickell turn to promising recruits Desmond Ridder or Ben Bryant at quarterback?

Long story short: the future stars of the Bearcats’ offense will likely all be on campus by the time the season starts. But how soon will that future arrive?

Home/Cincinnati Bearcats