What Does Emory Jones Bring to The UC Offense?

The duel-threat option offers a different look than fans saw last season.

Author:
Alex Frank
Apr 25, 2023 7:58 AM EDT

In this story:

COLUMBUS — With Ben Bryant now in the transfer portal, it's looking like quarterback Emory Jones is going to be the starter for the Bearcats in 2023.

Jones committed to Cincinnati on December 21, 2022. At the time, it was presumed he would be the Bearcats starting quarterback, and there were many reasons to back up that assumption.

Scott Satterfield's offenses at Louisville featured dual-threat quarterback Malik Cunningham. And in the previous four years, the Bearcats' offense was at its best when they had dual-threat quarterback Desmond Ridder.

That's what Jones would bring to the offense: versatility as a runner and passer. His dynamic skill set is exactly what the Bearcats' offense needs to have the best chance at success. He'll be able to make plays while masking the offensive line's deficiencies.

I would tell fans to keep their expectations low with Emory Jones.

This offense has so many unknowns that it's unfair to expect Jones to post numbers like Lamar Jackson or Justin Fields. And for what it's worth, Desmond Ridder never had exceedingly high rushing marks in any of his four seasons.

Jones will have rushing totals more reminiscent of 2021 than 2022. But he only needs to have 30-40 rushing yards per game to make an impact. That's three to four first downs per game. Add it up over 12 games, and you get 360-480 rushing yards for the season.

What Jones needs to do is make plays both as a passer and a runner and be as mistake-free as possible. This Bearcats offense has to squeeze every possible ounce out of the orange. That means making very few mistakes.

This was the presumed plan when Jones committed to Cincinnati.

Now, it looks like that plan A will come to fruition. Again, this doesn't take the Bearcats' offense over the top. But it does give them the best chance at 2023 success.

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