Coaches were on headsets and not on the field Saturday, Aug. 15 as the Cincinnati Bearcats went through a dress rehearsal scrimmage three weeks before their opening game at Nippert Stadium.
After a week of practicing indoors due to inclement weather, the Bearcats were presented with the humid game conditions that often exist in Cincinnati in early September.
It was a chance to see how UC’s 46 new players (22 transfers, 24 freshmen) might react to game situations for two and a half hours. Head coach Scott Satterfield saw some highlights, along with several areas that need improvement.
“Early on, there was good energy, then there was a lull toward the end of it,” Satterfield said. “It was warm out here today and we’d been inside all week; that had something to do with it.”
5 takeaways from Cincinnati Bearcats Aug. 15 scrimmage
1. All 4 UC quarterbacks who played led scoring drives
There were 20 possessions from mid-morning to early afternoon with Georgia Southern transfer and presumed starter JC French IV taking nine, Samaj Jones and Penn transfer Liam O’Brien five each and freshman Brooks Goodman one.
The Bearcats scored on 13 of the 20 possessions, with French leading scoring drives on 4-of-9, Jones leading scores on all five, O’Brien getting scores on 3-of-5, and Goodman connecting on a touchdown to sophomore Taizaun Burns in his lone series.
JC French IV highlights: On the opening possession, French got the offense in position for a Stephen Rusnak 45-yard field goal (Rusnak was 2-for-3, later missing a 55-yarder but making a 31-yard kick). His best throw was a shot to sophomore Gio Kontosis in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
His other two scoring drives finished with touchdowns by running backs Gi’Bran Payne and Cole Tabb. French’s biggest mistake was throwing an interception to cornerback Kenny Worthy.
Samaj Jones highlights: Jones had a spectacular roll-out pass where he evaded the defense and spotted freshman Dadrien Waller downfield for a score. He also led possessions that ended with touchdowns by reserve running back James Lewis and freshman Jayzon Thompson.
Jones was in red, so technically unable to be sacked, but freshman Lance Dawson would have had him down.
Liam O’Brien highlights: O’Brien accounted for the scrimmage’s first touchdown finding 6-foot-5 freshman Josh Smith for a score. He had the lone touchdown to a tight end hooking up with Winton Woods product Lyviel Waters and also ended up the day’s scoring with a flip to slot receiver Cade Wolford.
2. UC head coach Scott Satterfield wants more consistency in receivers
UC’s 2026 receivers have the potential to be better than the 2025 group, which included Kansas City Chiefs fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen and free agent Jeff Caldwell. But Satterfield needs to see more.
“Malachi (Henry) has been the most consistent guy,” Satterfield said. “Every practice, he’s brought it. (Larenzo) Fenner has had a good August as well. Cade (Wolford) is going to give you everything he’s got. JV (Gibson) and Gio (Kontosis) are both talented and both really good, but we’ve got to get more consistency out of them.”
Slot Isaiah Johnson and receivers Kontosis and Elijah Jones are back from last year’s team, with Henry, Fenner, Wolford and Gibson all coming via the transfer portal.
3. UC defensive coordinator Nate Woody wants 7 turnovers per game
At least that’s what safety MJ Cannon said afterward, when assessing the day’s performance.
“We’re trying to be as aggressive as possible,” Cannon said. “The goal is seven turnovers a game. That’s fumbles, picks, turnovers on downs, three-and-out stops and things like that. Our goal is seven turnovers a game, seven turnovers a practice. We practice what we preach here.”
Cannon’s teammate Worthy had the lone interception, but many more are expected.
“A lot. A lot,” Cannon said. “As we’ve seen out there, he should have had three today. He’s a great player, he’s a ballhawk, plays with great energy, emotion, and I can’t wait to see what he does this year.”
4. How many sacks would UC’s defense have had if QBs were ‘live’?
“A lot, I can’t even give you a number on that,” Antwan Peek Jr. said. “Coach Woody is allowing us to bring a lot of guys. Coach Woody’s not only talking about sacks, but getting strip sacks as well.”
Peek is fluctuating between 225-230 pounds and has increased in speed. Outside of the quarterbacks, the new outside linebacker mentioned running back Zion Johnson and receiver Wolford as two of the more elusive Bearcats.
“The entire offense is tough to bring down,” Peek Jr. said. “The offense is most likely going to be the toughest team we play in the Big 12.”
5. Did any UC Bearcats running backs improve stock?
Statistics weren’t provided, but in terms of pure yards junior Daniel Lewis was a workhorse when he was in and reached the end zone twice. Freshman Jayzon Thompson also made the most of his opportunities and scored.
Those two likely saw more action as UC tried to balance out carries and keep their top four of Notre Dame transfer Gi’Bran Payne, sophomore Zion Johnson, Stanford transfer Cole Tabb and Louisiana transfer Zylan Perry fresh and healthy.
“I think the top four guys will certainly be in the rotation,” Satterfield said. “As we get closer to the game, we’ll probably zero in on one or two of those guys. All four bring something to the table. They all have talent; they have good vision, good speed. Some are better than others in protection; they can catch the ball out of the backfield. I’m excited about that running back room.”
Zylan Perry, who did not score in the scrimmage but has broken long runs several times in camp, has the most recent success, having run for nearly 1,400 yards the past two seasons for Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns.
“We all come together and teach each other,” Perry said. “Me being healthy is the biggest difference. My style really is ‘make’em miss.’ “
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 5 takeaways from Cincinnati Bearcats dress rehearsal scrimmage Aug. 15
Reporting by Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
