Takeaways From UC's 2022 Spring Game

The defense won Saturday's action in the Sheakley Athletic Center.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
Apr 9, 2022 4:13 PM EDT

CINCINNATI — The 2022 Cincinnati football Spring Game is in the books. The program's main storyline was on full display as quarterbacks Ben Bryant and Evan Prater split time with the first team. There were plenty of standout moments on an afternoon where the Blackcats defense dominated.

Here are three takeaways from the 2022 Spring Game.

No Ground Gained At QB

Prater got the first series of reps on Saturday in the Sheakley Athletic Center, but he didn't wrestle control of the starting job by any means. Both quarterbacks primarily operated from the shotgun throughout the afternoon and didn't have a ton of time to operate.

They largely stuck to quick passing routes to tight ends and running backs near the line of scrimmage. Each quarterback was largely accurate on those throws, while Prater flashed his running ability on multiple quick draws. He needed that speed on an afternoon where Walt Stewart's defensive line lived in the backfield.

"I think it's a little bit more difficult for them to get in a rhythm when it's not live," Fickell said about his quarterbacks. "I think there is some situational stuff where I'd like to see them do a better job. When the protection breaks down, get rid of the ball, we don't want to take sacks...But I think throwing the football they did a good job."

I thought Prater did show a little bit more refinement when the two did get a chance to chuck it deep. The young passer hit sophomore tight end Chamon Metayer on a deep TD and threw another silky corner route TD to junior wide receiver Tyler Scott.

"It goes back and forth day-to-day," UC quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli said. "Throughout the spring you gotta look at their body of work, and both of those guys are doing a great job. At the end of the day I think that's what makes our team unique—is that we got depth at positions."

Bryant made things happen in the red zone. He won that portion of the day with sound decision-making, all while throwing a nice TD in the corner of the endzone to Metayer on a deep-drag route. The battle wages on and it looks like it'll be a close one in fall camp.

Chamon Metayer: The Future

Buckle up Bearcats fans.

Cincinnati is quickly earning a reputation for its strong tight end rooms and the 6-foot-5, 252-pound redshirt freshman could be the next great entry on that list. He ran like a gazelle on Saturday and flashed the rare ability from a tight end to make catches at all three levels of the field.

"He's gonna follow in the line of all the great tight ends that run through this place," Guidugli said about Metayer. "I'm really happy with the way our tight ends have been playing. I think they are going to be a massive matchup problem in the fall and I anticipate using a lot of 12 (personnel)."

Metayer was easily the biggest winner at the Spring Game and should carve out some type of roll even with Leonard Taylor and Josh Whyle ahead of him. His athleticism is undeniable in that sense—running wide open throughout the afternoon. Metayer caught TD passes from both QB candidates

Metayer was the 23rd-best athlete in the country coming out of the 2020 recruiting class. He's been working to pair that explosion with a refined route tree ever since and it could all start to pay off in September.

Dominant Defensive Line

Cincinnati is returning every starter to their offensive line in 2022, and that's a relief because the backups struggled mightily on Saturday. Jabari Taylor and the rest of the defensive line were in the backfield seemingly every other play.

Prater and Bryant were under pressure throughout the afternoon behind the experimental line combinations. Prater at one point took a strip-sack and even got sacked completely to the ground another time to the anger of the coaching staff. Even when the first-team players went head-to-head, that D-line was still winning most reps.

"I don't think we are going to go anywhere backwards in terms of our front defensively," Fickell said about the front seven. "We might not have quite the depth that we had last year with playing eight guys. What I do think we have is some guys who can be pretty dynamic against the run and the pass as well."

Outside of the D-line, sophomore cornerback Todd Bumphis was the man opposite Arquon Bush on the outside during some reps, while senior Justin Harris handled the other first-team snaps. Bush figures to mostly play outside in Sauce Gardner's old role and it's looking like a two-man war for that other outside position.

This program has been built on the Blackcats prowess and the reload appears headed in that same direction.

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