Oct 8, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell during a timeout in the second half against the Temple Owls at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports — © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Bearcats Fall in Latest Way-Too-Early Top-25 Ranking

Cincinnati has a few questions to answer in Fall Camp.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Apr 22, 2022 8:23 AM EDT

CINCINNATI — ESPN just updated its way-too-early top-25 rankings and Cincinnnati fell off four spots from the initial ranking following Georgia's victory in the National Championsip game. UC just snuck into the rankings at No. 23, despite adding four-star transfer RB Corey Kiner.

"With (Desmond) Ridder leaving for the NFL," Mark Schlabach wrote. "The Bearcats turned to a familiar face -- former backup (Ben) Bryant -- to compete with Evan Prater for the quarterback job. Bryant spent three seasons at Cincinnati before transferring to Eastern Michigan in 2021; last season, he completed 68.4% of his attempts for 3,121 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Prater, who attempted 11 passes in 2021, was Mr. Football in Ohio in 2019. Kiner, a Cincinnati native, is transferring from LSU, where he was the Tigers' second-leading rusher with 324 yards for two scores last season. Another former Mr. Football in Ohio, Kiner will be a favorite to replace Ford. Arquon Bush and Leroy Bowers look like the top candidates to replace (Ahmad) Gardner and (Coby) Bryant at cornerback, but that won't be easy."

The thought that Bowers, a linebacker, could play a significant role in replacing UC's All-American corners is out of left field and speaks to the uncertainty surrounding the next phase of Bearcats football.

Finding a defined starting quarterback plan in Fall Camp could quell some of those questions. A couple of other notable teams ranked on the list are Arkansas (No. 20) and Houston (No. 13).

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