Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Arquon Bush (9) catches a throw in a drill during practice at the Higher Ground training facility in West Harrison, Ind., on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. Cincinnati Bearcats Football Camp — © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fall Camp Storylines: Quarterback Battle, New-Look Cornerback Room, Gino Guidugli

Three biggest storylines heading into Fall Camp.

Author:
Alex Frank
Jul 26, 2022 12:09 PM EDT

In this story:

Cincinnati Bearcats

MACON — The Cincinnati Bearcats are gearing up for Fall Camp, in preparation to win a third straight American Athletic Conference championship in 2022.

There is a slew of storylines to follow as we head into Fall Camp, including the quarterback battle, replacing Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant, and Gino Guidugli taking over as offensive coordinator in title, even though he already was the offensive play-caller in 2021.

Quarterback Battle

There are many angles to this competition. But this question may determine which one separates from the other in Fall Camp: Who is the most prepared? Is it Ben Bryant, who transferred to Eastern Michigan and started for a year? Or is it Evan Prater, a former four-star Cincinnati-based recruit who backed up Desmond Ridder for the last two years?

While Evan Prater may bring a lot more potential than Bryant, the latter brings a feeling of familiarity. That can be an important asset, especially heading into the season-opener at Arkansas. Aside from whoever turns out to be the most prepared, the Bearcats need to make sure their starting quarterback is in place when they move into the Big 12.

New-Look Cornerback Room

While the Bearcats have familiar faces to take over for Desmond Ridder at quarterback, that's not the case at cornerback. Replacing Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant is... a lot. To say the least.

There are options—headlined by veterans Arquon Bush, Justin Harris, Todd Bumphis, Sammy Anderson, etc. But how will they look taking first-team reps in Fall Camp?

The good news for these new cornerbacks is a familiar face coaching the position, Kerry Coombs. Coombs is back for a second stint on the Bearcats coaching staff, and he brings a passion and intensity for not just the program—but for the entire Cincinnati football landscape.

Gino Guidugli

There is a new voice calling the plays on offense for the Cincinnati Bearcats this year. Or is there? Gino Guidugli was promoted to offensive coordinator early in the offseason. But as The Athletic's Justin Williams reported, Guidugli took over the offensive play-calling duties in the middle of the 2021 season.

So while this will be his first season with the title next to his name, this won't be his first rodeo calling the offensive plays. That puts him in a strong position to be a great play-caller this year. Guidugli has been associated with the Bearcats football program for two decades, and his mark on the program is indelible.

Fans have been waiting for him to assume the role of offensive coordinator. He said in the offseason to not expect many changes to the Bearcats' run-first offense, but there could be some given the personnel this offense possesses.

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

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