Cincinnati Football 2013 Spring Wrap Up

Spring Summary

The overwhelming theme of this Spring period is that the Bearcats have adjusted well from the zone-read, spread of Butch Jones/Mike Bajakian to the pro-style schemes of Eddie Gran.

Starting quarterback Brendon Kay has thrown for almost 400 yards and 6 touchdowns to just 1 pick in the three scrimmages so it’s pretty safe to say that he hasn’t missed a step.

Overall the team looks just as strong as last season. It remains to be seen though if that will translate to actual wins this Fall.

Name a few players who could have breakout seasons

I’ll give you two; Jeff Luc and Chris Moore.

Luc is a transfer from Florida State who has been turning heads this Spring. He’s been inserted into an already excellent linebacker corps and should start this Fall for the Bearcats.

On the opposite side of the ball is wide receiver Chris Moore. He gave us a taste of his abilities last season as a redshirt freshman appearing in a few games and catching a pair of touchdowns. Interestingly enough, both were from Brendon Kay when he took over the starting QB job in 2012. And this Spring the duo appears to have strengthened their chemistry which could signify a big year from Moore.

Cincinnati QB Brendon Kay at Spring Game

Grade each position group & special teams

Quarterback – A   Having a senior at quarterback was comforting heading into the offseason but I was worried about how he would adjust to the new offense. That hasn’t seemed to have phased Brendan Kay, however, who seems poised to have a strong season.

Running back – B-    Maybe it’s a factor of their youth and inexperience or that the front seven on the other side have been so good this Spring but this position group has been just “Ok” this Spring.

Wide Receivers – A-   Despite replacing a reliable threat in Kenbrell Thompkins, this unit hasn’t missed a beat. Anthony McClung looks like he might break the 1,000 receiving yard threshold this year and Chris Moore is an emerging young star.

Tight Ends – B-   Like the runningbacks, this unit is very green after replacing an impact senior in Travis Kelce. It’s a bit of a logjam at this position as no one player has really established himself.

Offensive Line – B   This unit returns everyone from last season and sustained just a single injury this Spring, to RT Parker Ehinger. They’ve shouldered most of the load learning new blocking schemes under Gran and are clearly still climbing the learning curve. But I have faith they’ll be caught up to speed by this Fall.

Defensive Line – B   Injuries have slowed this unit down and they are still young in many places but as a whole they are looking as good if not better than last year. Having one of the best linebacking units in the conference backing them up has certainly helped.

Linebackers – A   By far the strongest unit on the defense (and maybe the entire team) showed why they have been so hyped for the past few weeks. The experience and depth here has really shown this Spring.

Secondary – C+   They’ve been decent but are still adjusting to losing a senior each at safety, cornerback, and nickelback. There’s a good combination of youth and experience here that hopefully meshes in the coming months.

Special Teams – B   On the one hand, place kicker Tony Miliano has been reliable and on the other punter John Lloyd is still adjusting the starting role after all-everything punter Pat O’Donnell left the team.

Are there any “surprises” we can expect from this team?

As we get into the meat of the offseason it’s difficult for me to stay level-headed and not anticipate this team going undefeated and clobbering their opponent in a BCS bowl game. But I’ll do my best to give a sound prediction.

Cincinnati’s success or failure hinges upon this team’s ability to grasp the concepts of the new coaching staff. By all accounts they’ve done a nice job in the last few months picking up the new schemes and that’s encouraging to see.

However they haven’t played an opponent yet and it remains to be seen if the Bearcats’ performance against each other translates to similar success against players they aren’t familiar with.

Still, this is a veteran team with experience at key positions. Plus with a pretty light schedule I don’t see how any publication picks UC to finish worse than 3rd in the conference. Personally, I think they have all the pieces to win the AAC next season.

Chris Baines of Bearcats Nation provided the information for our Cincinnati football 2013 spring wrap up. For more Cincinnati football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Chris on Twitter @Bearcats_Nation.