Cincinnati Bearcats Football Leaders Preview 2026 Spring Football Period

CINCINNATI — Scott Satterfield and more addressed the media on Thursday to preview the start of next week's spring football period for the Cincinnati Bearcats' program.

Cincinnati has over 40 new players on the squad, including a basically entirely new starting unit on both sides of the ball, outside of linebacker and offensive line. Those are the only spots with major continuity entering Scott Satterfield's fourth season.

UC's 2026 transfer haul ranked 45th on 247Sports' rankings and eighth among Big 12 teams.

Satterfield is handing the defensive baton to longtime veteran defensive coordinator Nate Woody, who is installing a whole new 3-4 blitzing scheme this offseason compared to the 3-3-5 look UC has used exclusively under Satterfield.

"We're looking forward to this spring, a lot of things we want to try to get out of it," Satterfield said. "A new defensive coordinator, so a new scheme with that. Trying to install that, we'll take that slow, making sure the guys get a great foundation with that. And also for us to try to find out what the best positions are for some of these guys to play within the scheme.

"Trying to find some pass rusher guys, guys to get after the quarterback. And then in the back end, we got a lot of new guys in the back end, and so to be able to see where they play the best. And so I'm excited about that. And obviously, offensively continue to develop."

JC French is a huge factor in the offensive development. The Georgia Southern transfer quarterback technically has to win the starting job outright across the next few months, but it would be stunning if Liam O'Brien or Samaj Jones took that role.

It's French's job to lose after Cincinnati pursued him quickly in the early days of the transfer portal. He researched Cincinnati heavily as a place that fits his game.

"I think it's more about proving myself right," French said about having to prove himself in the Big 12 after playing in the Group of Five. "I mean, I've had belief in myself my whole career, when I started at Memphis and then transferred to Georgia Southern, so I think it's really just proven myself right, knowing what I'm able to do and show it off at the Big 12 Level. I'm super excited for the opportunity. I can't wait take advantage of it."

He's hyped to get rolling with that offensive line strength returning to the fold. French noted he's most comfortable operating the RPO game, something UC utilizes a lot under Satterfield.

"They were huge in my recruitment," French said about the offensive line. "I mean, they reached out to me while I was on my visit and before my visit. So that was a big thing for me. And obviously, the coach is showing a ton of love. I got a lot of respect for all of them, the way that they did it, the way that they handled their business, and all the truths that they told me. I was super thankful for the whole process."

The Bearcats 2025 fate will rely a lot on how quickly French nails down the system and how much he can improve to try and match Brendan Sorsby's elite production from 2025, in 2026.

Check out the full spring media session below:

LIVE: Spring Football Press Conference https://t.co/Y8u7K9ilCx
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) March 5, 2026

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