2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football
2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football
Military Bowl champion
Military Bowl, W 35–31 vs. Virginia Tech
Conference	American Athletic Conference
	East Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 23
AP	No. 24
Record	11–2 (6–2 The American)
Head coach	Luke Fickell (2nd season);
Offensive coordinator	Mike Denbrock (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Marcus Freeman (2nd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Nippert Stadium
	Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

The 2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats play their home games at Nippert Stadium, and are members of the East Division in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Luke Fickell.

2018 American Athletic Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 11 UCF x$	8	–	0	12	–	1
Temple	7	–	1	8	–	5
No. 24 Cincinnati	6	–	2	11	–	2
South Florida	3	–	5	7	–	6
East Carolina	1	–	7	3	–	9
UConn	0	–	8	1	–	11
West Division
Memphis xy	5	–	3	8	–	6
Houston x	5	–	3	8	–	5
Tulane x	5	–	3	7	–	6
SMU	4	–	4	5	–	7
Navy	2	–	6	3	–	10
Tulsa	2	–	6	3	–	9
Championship: UCF 56, Memphis 41
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

Recruits

The Bearcats signed a total of 23 recruits.

College recruiting information (2018)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Ty Van Fossen LB	Columbus, Ohio	St. Francis DeSales High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Mar 1, 2017
Ty Van Fossen LB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Blake Bacevich DE	Cincinnati, Ohio	St. Xavier High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Mar 25, 2017
Blake Bacevich DE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Josh Whyle TE	Cincinnati, Ohio	La Salle High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Apr 6, 2017
Josh Whyle TE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Colin Woodside OT	Lancaster, Ohio	Fairfield Union High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	Apr 14, 2017
Colin Woodside OT	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Malik Vann DE	Fairfield, Ohio	Fairfield High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Apr 18, 2017
Malik Vann DE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Ja'Von Hicks S	Cincinnati, Ohio	Colerain High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Apr 23, 2017
Ja'Von Hicks S	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jayshon Jackson WR	Chicago, Illinois	Simeon Career Academy	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	May 26, 2017
Jayshon Jackson WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Arquon Bush CB	Euclid, Ohio	Euclid High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	167 lb (76 kg)	Jun 19, 2017
Arquon Bush CB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Taj Ward CB	Solon, Ohio	Solon High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jun 19, 2017
Taj Ward CB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jeremy Cooper OG	Chicago, Illinois	Mount Carmel High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	Jun 26, 2017
Jeremy Cooper OG	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Ben Bryant QB	LaGrange, Illinois	Lyons Township High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
Ben Bryant QB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Darnell Shields S	Cleveland, Ohio	St. Edward High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
Darnell Shields S	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Yanez Rogers WR	Pompano Beach, Florida	Blanche Ely High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	179 lb (81 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
Yanez Rogers WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Daeshon Martin DE	Akron, Ohio	Archbishop Hoban High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Jul 25, 2017
Daeshon Martin DE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Charles McClelland RB	Homerville, Georgia	Clinch County High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Aug 5, 2017
Charles McClelland RB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Ryan Montgomery RB	Franklin, Ohio	Franklin High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Oct 4, 2017
Ryan Montgomery RB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Dylan O'Quinn TE	Millbury, Ohio	Lake High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	Oct 8, 2017
Dylan O'Quinn TE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Alec Pierce WR	Glen Ellyn, Illinois	Glenbard West High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	196 lb (89 kg)	Dec 11, 2017
Alec Pierce WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Lorenz Metz OT	Kirchdorf am Inn, Germany	Kirchdorf Wildcats	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Lorenz Metz OT	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Meechi Harris WR	Xenia, Ohio	Xenia High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	188 lb (85 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Meechi Harris WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Myjai Sanders DE	Jacksonville, Florida	Raines High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	223 lb (101 kg)	Jan 22, 2018
Myjai Sanders DE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Leonard Taylor TE	Springfield, Ohio	Springfield High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
Leonard Taylor TE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Tavion Thomas RB	Dayton, Ohio	Dunbar High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
Tavion Thomas RB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 10, 2018.

Incoming transfers

Cincinnati added five transfers to the 2018 roster.

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Prev. School
Dino Boyd	OT	6'4"	300	Senior	Newark, NJ	Rhode Island
Darius Harper	OT	6'7"	325	Sophomore	Springfield, OH	Miami (OH)
Aulden Knight	WR	5'9"	162	Sophomore	Akron, OH	Hampton
Tinashe Bere	LB	6'1"	235	Senior	Cincinnati, OH	Duke
Cam Jefferies	CB	5'10"	188	Junior	Painesville, OH	Bowling Green

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Nagurski Trophy^[1]	Marquise Copeland	DT	SR
Outland Trophy^[2]	Marquise Copeland	DT	SR
Wuerffel Trophy^[3]	Garrett Campbell	OL	SR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award^[4]	Hayden Moore	QB	SR

AAC media poll

The AAC media poll was released on July 24, 2018, with the Bearcats predicted to finish fourth in the AAC East Division.^[5]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
Media poll (East)
1	UCF	175 (25)
2	USF	140 (5)
3	Temple	132
4	Cincinnati	91
5	UConn	51
6	East Carolina	41

Schedule

The Bearcats' 2018 schedule will consist of six home games and six away games. Cincinnati will host two of its four non-conference games; against Alabama A&M from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and Ohio from the Mid-American Conference. They will take on long time rival Miami (OH) for their annual Victory Bell game at Paul Brown Stadium.^[6] They will travel to UCLA for the first ever meeting between the Bearcats and Bruins.

The Bearcats will play eight conference games; hosting East Carolina, Navy, South Florida and Tulane. They will travel to UCF, UConn, SMU, and Temple.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	7:00 p.m.	at UCLA*		Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	ESPN	W 26–17	54,116
September 8	8:00 p.m.	vs. Miami (OH)*		Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, OH (Victory Bell)	ESPN3/FOX 19	W 21–0	16,062
September 15	7:00 p.m.	Alabama A&M*		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN3	W 63–7	28,834
September 22	12:00 p.m.	Ohio*		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 34–30	35,220
September 29	3:30 p.m.	at UConn		Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT	CBSSN	W 49–7	20,322
October 6	12:00 p.m.	Tulane		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 37–21	32,200
October 20	12:00 p.m.	at Temple	No. 20	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ESPNU	L 17–24 ^OT	33,026
October 27	3:30 p.m.	at SMU		Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, TX	CBSSN	W 26–20 ^OT	16,121
November 3	3:30 p.m.	Navy		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 42–0	36,318
November 10	7:00 p.m.	South Florida		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 35–23	29,310
November 17	8:00 p.m.	at No. 11 UCF	No. 24	Spectrum Stadium Orlando, FL (rivalry, College GameDay)	ABC	L 13–38	47,795
November 23	3:30 p.m.	East Carolina		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	CBSSN	W 56–6	21,230
December 31	12:00 p.m.	vs. Virginia Tech*		Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, MD (Military Bowl)	ESPN	W 35–31	32,832
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 30) - Released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

at UCLA

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	0	17	0	9	26
Bruins	10	0	7	0	17

Expected to be an easy warmup opponent in the UCLA debut of Chip Kelly, the Bearcats were rude guests stunning the double digit favorite Bruins in the Rose Bowl. Michael Warren II rushed for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns, as the Bearcats rallied from an early 10–0 deficit to win. The Bearcats clinching touchdown came after the Bruins were called for a penalty during a Bearcats field goal attempt leading 19–17. Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell boldly gambled that the Bearcats could convert a 4th and 1 deep in Bruins territory and accepted the penalty, which took the field goal off the board. The Bearcats converted the 4th down and Warren scored a touchdown a few plays later to ice the game.

Vs. Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	7	0	0	14	21
RedHawks	0	0	0	0	0

Played in a steady downpour, the Bearcats ground out a 21–0 win over the RedHawks to retain possession of the Victory Bell for the 13th straight season. This was the Bearcats' first shutout since blanking the Redhawks in 2013. Utilizing a ground attack, the Bearcats were led by redshirt freshman Desmond Ridder who had 117 yards rushing, and Michael Warren II with 94 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Though the game was played in soggy conditions, there was only one turnover committed by both teams combined. The game was played at Paul Brown Stadium in front of only 16,089 fans.

Alabama A&M

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	7	0	7
Bearcats	28	14	14	7	63

In their home opener, The Bearcats scored on their first six possessions, led by Desmond Ridder's 9 for 10 passing and 3 touchdowns in the first quarter (the only quarter he played) as the Bearcats throttled the 1-AA Bulldogs. The Bearcats scored 49 points before the visitors from Huntsville could get a score.

Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	14	10	3	3	30
Bearcats	0	7	14	13	34

The Bearcats rallied from a 7–24 deficit to defeat the Bobcats. James Wiggins' goal-line interception in the 4th quarter snuffed out a late Bobcat drive and sealed the win.

at UConn

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	7	14	21	7	49
Huskies	7	0	0	0	7

The Bearcats spotted the Huskies an opening touchdown then ripped off 49 unanswered points to win their conference opener. Desmond Ridder threw for 270 yards, two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Bearcats rolled up 659 yards on offense.

Tulane

	1	2	3	4	Total
Green Wave	7	7	0	7	21
Bearcats	3	21	6	7	37

Michael Warren rushed for 123 yards including a career long 81 yarder for a touchdown that gave the Bearcats the lead for good, and it was a happy Homecoming as the Bearcats improved to 2–0 in conference. The Bearcats broke the game open by scoring 27 straight points between the 2nd and 4th quarters. With the win, the Bearcats not only stayed unbeaten, they also became Bowl-eligible for the first time since 2015.

at Temple

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 20 Bearcats	7	3	7	0	0	17
Owls	10	0	0	7	7	24

Ranked in the regular season for the first time since 2013, the Bearcats were now in the role of the hunted and it did not suit them well, as numerous late gaffes by the Bearcats allowed the Owls to rally from a 17-10 4th quarter deficit to win 24–17 in overtime. The Owls scored first in the extra session and Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder was intercepted to end the game. The loss was Cincinnati's third straight to Temple.

at SMU

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bearcats	7	0	10	3	6	26
Mustangs	7	0	7	6	0	20

The Bearcats bounced back from their first loss to win a taut game in Dallas. Again the Bearcats raced out to a lead and again let the opponent rally back. The Bearcats were staked to a 17–7 lead in the third quarter from a pair of 32 yard Ridder to Kahlil Lewis touchdown passes and a Cole Smith field goal. The Mustangs rallied with 13 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters to take a 20–17 lead. Smith's second field goal with no time left in regulation forced overtime. SMU had first possession in overtime when SMU quarterback Ben Hicks was intercepted by James Wiggins who returned the stolen pass 86 yards for a touchdown to give the Bearcats a walk-off win. Desmond Ridder threw for 352 yards and 2 touchdowns. The win avenged the homecoming loss to SMU from the previous season, ruining the Mustangs' homecoming in kind. The win moved the Bearcats to 7–1, their best start since the 2011 team also started 7–1.

Navy

	1	2	3	4	Total
Midshipmen	0	0	0	0	0
Bearcats	7	21	7	7	42

Cincinnati's previous meeting with Navy was a 42–32 loss, as the Bearcats could not slow much less stop the Midshipmen's triple option. This meeting, Navy's first ever in Cincinnati, the Bearcats were determined not to let the scenario repeat. Holding the Middies to 57 first half yards (all rushing) the Bearcats got a pair of touchdowns from Michael Warren II to go with a pair of touchdowns from Desmond Ridder (1 rush, 1 pass) as the Bearcats thrashed Navy 42–0, the Bearcats' second shutout of the season. The win moved the Bearcats to 8-1 their best start since 2009.

South Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	9	7	7	0	23
No. 25 Bearcats	7	7	21	0	35

The Bearcats returned to nationally ranked status at 25 and this time did not squander its ranking. Michael Warren II scored 4 TDs as the Bearcats broke open a tight game in the third quarter and pulled away to a 35–23 win over South Florida. The Bearcats were trailing 16–14 in the third when Warren broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run, his second of the day after catching a touchdown pass from Desmond Ridder. Warren would add two more scores in the third quarter and finish with 151 rushing yards. The win moved Cincinnati to 9-1 and set up a showdown with defending conference champ University of Central Florida. It was announced shortly after the game that the matchup with UCF the upcoming Saturday would not only be nationally televised as the College Football Saturday Night Game of the Week on ABC, but also be the focus of the ESPN College Gameday.

at UCF

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Bearcats	6	0	0	7	13
No. 11 Knights	7	14	7	10	38

With its highest regular season ranking (19) in seven years, the Bearcats traveled to Orlando to face unbeaten and 11th ranked UCF. In front a rowdy Spectrum Stadium crowd and a nationally televised audience, the Bearcats started strong. A Kimoni Fitz strip-sack/fumble in the end zone gave the Bearcats a 6–0 lead and quieted the UCF crowd, but Cole Smith missed the extra point and the Knights promptly raced back down the field to take the lead on McKenzie Milton's short run. The Knights were never headed again, scoring 35 straight points and rolling to a 38–13 win. The Bearcat offense never got on track and the Knights clinched the AAC Eastern Division title.

East Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	6	0	0	6
Bearcats	21	21	7	7	56

Desmond Ridder threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns in the first half as the Bearcats steamrolled the Pirates on Senior Day 56–6. Khalil Lewis finished with a career high 202 yards on 9 catches and 3 touchdowns. With top running back Michael Warren sidelined with a shoulder injury, Charles McClelland filled in capably with 114 yards rushing which included a 55-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Bearcats scored the game's first 35 points and were never threatened. The defense got in on the scoring as well with Arquon Bush intercepting a fourth quarter pass and taking the stolen loaf 36 yards back for the game's final score. The 56 points marked the fourth time this season the Bearcats topped 40 points in a game. The Bearcats honored 14 seniors, who were sent out with a home finale win before a Thanksgiving Friday afternoon crowd. With this win, Cincinnati completed its first unbeaten home schedule since 2009, and its first double-digit win season since 2012. The 10 wins before the bowl game was the most since the 2009 team completed an unbeaten 12–0 season. The Bearcats accepted a bid from the Military Bowl against Virginia Tech, their first bowl bid since the 2015 season and looked to claim their first bowl win since the 2012 Belk Bowl.

Vs. Virginia Tech (Military Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	7	7	7	14	35
Hokies	7	7	10	7	31

The Bearcats won their first bowl game since the 2012 Belk Bowl and avenged a previous Military Bowl loss to the Hokies with a thrilling win. Michael Warren's 8 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter proved to be the winning score. The game was not sealed until James Wiggins' acrobatic interception at his own 30 late in the fourth quarter. The University of Cincinnati Bearcats completed their best season since 2011 and finished in the national rankings 23rd in the Coaches poll and 24th in the AP Poll.

Personnel

Roster and staff

2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`1`	Kahlil Lewis	Sr
RB	`3`	Michael Warren II	So
RB	`5`	Tavion Thomas	Fr
QB	`6`	Ben Bryant	Fr
WR	`7`	Javan Hawes	So
QB	`8`	Hayden Moore	Sr
QB	`9`	Desmond Ridder	Fr
RB	`10`	Charles McClelland	Fr
QB	`10`	Jake Sopko	So
TE	`11`	Leonard Taylor	Fr
WR	`12`	Alec Pierce	Fr
WR	`13`	Trent Cloud	Fr
WR	`14`	Yanez Rogers	Fr
RB	`15`	Taylor Boose	Jr
QB	`16`	John Keller	Fr
WR	`17`	Rashad Medaris	Jr
WR	`18`	Meechi Harris	Fr
WR	`19`	Tyrin Summers	So
WR	`20`	Aulden Knight	So
WR	`21`	Jayshon Jackson	Fr
RB	`23`	Gerrid Doaks	So
WR	`25`	Casey Kirk	Fr
WR	`26`	Jerron Rollins	Jr
RB	`29`	Alex Dowds	Fr
RB	`30`	Michael Kopaygorodsky	Fr
RB	`41`	Colin Thurman	Fr
TE	`44`	Mick Oakes	Fr
OL	`50`	Dylan O'Quinn	Fr
OL	`51`	Lorenz Metz	Fr
OL	`53`	Tyler McGarr	Jr
OL	`54`	Keith Minor	Sr
OL	`55`	Alex Heil	Jr
OL	`56`	Kyle Trout	Sr
OL	`58`	Darius Harper	So
OL	`59`	Colin Truett	Fr
OL	`60`	Zach Bycznski	So
OL	`62`	Mason Garrison	Jr
OL	`65`	Cody Lamb	Fr
OL	`66`	Ethan Voelker	Fr
OL	`68`	Doug Bates	So
OL	`70`	Jakari Robinson	Fr
OL	`71`	Colin Woodside	Fr
OL	`72`	Garrett Campbell	Sr
OL	`73`	Blake Yager	Jr
OL	`74`	Jeremy Cooper	Fr
OL	`75`	Chris Ferguson	Sr
OL	`76`	Dino Boyd	Sr
OL	`77`	Vincent McConnell	Fr
OL	`78`	Morgan James	Jr
OL	`79`	Drew Hartmann	Fr
WR	`80`	Malick Mbodj	So
TE	`81`	Josh Whyle	Fr
TE	`82`	Wilson Huber	Fr
TE	`83`	Josiah Deguara	Jr
WR	`84`	Wyatt Fischer	Fr
WR	`85`	Thomas Geddis	Jr
WR	`86`	Jack Peterson	Fr
TE	`87`	Bruno Labelle	So
WR	`88`	Braxton Neal	Jr
WR	`89`	Jake Peterson	Fr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
CB	`2`	Tyrell Gilbert	Sr
S	`3`	Ja'von Hicks	Fr
LB	`4`	Malik Clements	Sr
LB	`6`	Perry Young	Jr
CB	`7`	Coby Bryant	So
LB	`8`	Jarell White	So
CB	`9`	Arquon Bush	Fr
CB	`10`	Christian Angulo	Jr
LB	`11`	Bryan Wright	Jr
CB	`12`	TJ Johnson	So
LB	`13`	Ty Van Fossen	Fr
CB	`14`	Cameron Jeffries	Jr
CB	`15`	Taj Ward	Fr
S	`16`	Darrick Forrest	So
CB	`18`	Josiah Robey	Fr
DE	`19`	Ethan Tucky	So
DE	`21`	Myjai Sanders	Fr
S	`22`	Collin Widecan	So
LB	`23`	RJ Potts	Fr
CB	`24`	Noah Hamlin	Fr
S	`27`	Will Adams	Fr
S	`30`	Chris Murphy	Sr
CB	`31`	Marquis Smith	So
S	`32`	James Wiggins	So
DE	`33`	Blake Bacevich	Fr
LB	`34`	Kyle Bolden	Fr
LB	`35`	Ryan Royer	Fr
CB	`38`	Jake Tewart	Fr
LB	`40`	Ty Sponseller	So
LB	`41`	Joel Dublanko	So
DE	`42`	Malik Vann	Fr
DE	`43`	Michael Pitts	So
DT	`44`	Marquise Copeland	Sr
LB	`47`	Nate Lawler	Fr
LB	`48`	Kevin Mouhon	Sr
DE	`51`	Kimoni Fitz	Sr
DL	`52`	Daeshon Martin	Fr
DE	`86`	Angelo Howze	Fr
DT	`89`	Nick Staderman	So
DT	`90`	Jabari Taylor	Fr
DT	`92`	Curtis Brooks	So
DT	`93`	Elijah Ponder	So
DT	`94`	Chase Brown	Fr
DT	`95`	Joe Schroer	Jr
DT	`96`	Cortez Broughton	Sr
DE	`97`	Zane Wilson	Fr
DE	`98`	Mychal Keys	Fr
DT	`99`	Marcus Brown	So

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K	`19`	Cole Smith	Fr
P	`37`	James Smith	So
LS	`57`	Cory Armstrong	So
LS	`59`	Zach Wood	Jr
LS	`74`	Blake Bammann	Fr
K	`97`	Ryan Jones	Jr

Head coach

Luke Fickell (Ohio State) – 2nd year

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Mike Denbrock (Grand Valley State)
2nd year – (Offensive Coordinator/ Tight Ends)
Marcus Freeman (Ohio State)
2nd year – (Defensive Coordinator/ Linebackers)
Brian Mason (Denison)
1st year – (Special Teams Coordinator)
Ron Crook (West Liberty State)
2nd year – (Offensive Line)
Gino Guidugli (Cincinnati)
2nd year – (Quarterbacks)
Mike Mickens (Cincinnati)
1st year – (Cornerbacks)
Doug Phillips (Toledo)
2nd year – (Running Backs)
Joker Phillips (Kentucky)
2nd year (4th overall) – (Wide Receivers)
Steve Stripling (Colorado)
4th year – (Defensive Line)
Jon Tenuta (Virginia)
2nd year – (Safeties)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster

Depth chart

Defense

FS
James Wiggins
Chris Murphy
⋅

WLB	MLB	SLB
Perry Young	Bryan Wright	Malik Clements
⋅	Joel Dublanko	Jarell White
⋅	⋅	⋅

SS
Darrick Forrest
Ja'von Hicks
⋅

CB
Tyrell Gilbert
Noah Hamlin
Christian Angulo

DE	DT	DT	DE
Kimoni Fitz	Marquise Copeland	Cortez Broughton	Michael Pitts
Malik Vann	Markus Brown	Curtis Brooks	Ethan Tucky
⋅	⋅	⋅	⋅

CB
Coby Bryant
Cameron Jeffries
Arquon Bush

Offense

WR
Kahlil Lewis
Trent Cloud
Malick Mbodj

WR
Thomas Geddis
Javon Hawes
Alec Pierce

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Dino Boyd	Kyle Trout	Garrett Campbell	Morgan James	Chris Ferguson
Vincent McConnell	Zach Bycznski	Jakari Robinson	Jeremy Cooper	Blake Yager
⋅	⋅	⋅	⋅	⋅

TE
Josiah Deguara
Bruno Labelle
Wilson Huber

WR
Rashad Medaris
Jerron Rollins
Jayshon Jackson

QB
Desmond Ridder
Hayden Moore
Ben Bryant

RB
Michael Warren II
Gerrid Doaks
Charles McClelland

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	25	20	RV	RV	25	19	RV	RV	RV	24
Coaches	—	—	RV	RV	RV	RV	25	21	RV	RV	23	20	RV	RV	RV	23
CFP	Not released									—	—	24	—	—	—	Not released

Awards and milestones

Weekly Awards
Player	Award	Date Awarded	Ref.
Bryan Wright	Co-Defensive Player of the Week	September 3, 2018	^[7]
James Wiggins	Defensive Player of the Week	October 29, 2018
Cole Smith	Special Teams Player of the Week	October 29, 2018
Cortez Broughton	Defensive Player of the Week	October 29, 2018
Arquon Bush	Defensive Player of the Week	November 26, 2018

Individual Awards
Award	Recipient	Ref.
AAC Rookie of the Year	Desmond Ridder	^[7]
AAC Coach of the Year	Luke Fickell	^[7]
Ray Guy Award (finalist)	James Smith	^[8]

All-American
Player	AP	AFCA	FWAA	TSN	WCFF	Ref
James Smith	2		2			^[7]
The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections.

All-AAC
Player	Position	Team
Dino Boyd	OT	1
Cortez Broughton	DT	1
Perry Young	LB	1
James Smith	P	1
Garrett Campbell	C	2
Josiah Deguara	TE	2
Michael Warren II	RB	2
Marquise Copeland	DT	2
Kimoni Fitz	DE	2
James Wiggins	S	2
Reference:^[7]

2019 NFL Draft

The following Bearcat player was selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.


	Rnd.	Pick No.	NFL team	Player	Pos.	College	Conf.	Notes
	7	242	Los Angeles Chargers	Cortez Broughton	DT	Cincinnati	The American

References

^ "2018 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". Sportswriters.net. FWAA. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
^ "2018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". Sportswriters.net. FWAA. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
^ "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
^ "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
^ "UCF Tabbed as Favorite in 2018 Preseason Media Poll". TheAmerican.org. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
^ Clark, Dave (September 11, 2017). "UC Bearcats, Miami RedHawks extend rivalry through 2029". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "American Athletic Conference Football Report" (PDF). American Athletic Conference. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
^ "James Smith Named Ray Guy Award Finalist". GoBearcats.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.

[1] "2018 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". Sportswriters.net. FWAA. Retrieved July 24, 2018.

[2] "2018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". Sportswriters.net. FWAA. Retrieved July 24, 2018.

[3] "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.

[4] "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

[5] "UCF Tabbed as Favorite in 2018 Preseason Media Poll". TheAmerican.org. Retrieved July 24, 2018.

[6] Clark, Dave (September 11, 2017). "UC Bearcats, Miami RedHawks extend rivalry through 2029". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved January 24, 2018.

[AAC-Report-7] "American Athletic Conference Football Report" (PDF). American Athletic Conference. Retrieved September 6, 2018.

[8] "James Smith Named Ray Guy Award Finalist". GoBearcats.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.

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