By Mark Pszonak
With action in the transfer portal slowing down, it is time to take a closer look at how each P4 school did during this cycle. Up now are the Cincinnati Bearcats
The skinny: Cincinnati’s first season in the Big 12, and with new head coach Scott Satterfield, did not go very smoothly. The season concluded with a 3-9 record, with an even more troubling 1-8 record in-conference and 1-6 record at home. So not surprisingly, the Bearcats have had a busy portal offseason. An argument can be made that while the quantity of departing players was high, the quality did not reach expectations since only eight of the 31 departing scholarship players have currently found a new school at the P4 level. Now it was up to Coach Satterfield and his staff to bring in better replacements, which may make-or-break the 2024 season.
Total # entries into portal: 37
Total # of scholarship players who entered portal: 31
Number of scholarship players who withdrew: 0
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Key losses: DB Byron Threats (UCF), LB DeShawn Pace (UCF), TE Chamon Metayor (Colorado), DB Jayden Davis (Georgia Tech), LB Tyler Gillison (Michigan State)
Key additions: QB Brendan Sorsby (Indiana), DB Kye Stokes (Ohio State), DL Mikah Coleman (Eastern Michigan), TE Joe Royer (Ohio State), DB Derrick Canteen (Virginia Tech)
Final thoughts: While 31 scholarship players entered the portal, the Bearcats were able to retain top players like DL Dontay Corleone, RB Corey Kiner, WR Xzavier Henderson and OL Luke Kandra. The offense showed potential last season, and should continue to improve in 2024, if new quarterback Brendan Sorsby can hit the ground running. However, the defense, aside from Corleone, was a liability in 2023. If the Bearcats hope to make some noise this season, additions like defensive backs Kye Stokes and Derrick Canteen and defensive lineman Mikah Coleman must make immediate impacts.
