CINCINNATI — The defense has set the tone for the Cincinnati Bearcats through much of spring practice, so it felt fitting when Utah State transfer Daniel Grzesiak came screaming off the edge on the very first live scrimmage rep of Saturday’s spring game, immediately creating havoc in the backfield.
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Quarterback Ben Bryant was wearing the “hands-off” green practice jersey, but Grzesiak still managed to swat the ball out of his hands for a strip-sack, with defensive tackle Dontay Corleone falling on top of the fumble for an instant turnover.
“Defensively, they’ve been a little ahead (of the offense) all spring, and I think that’s still the case as we finished out today,” head coach Scott Satterfield said after Cincinnati finished out its 15th and final practice in its first spring session of Satterfield’s tenure.
The spring game, which was open to the public at Nippert Stadium, wasn’t a full-blown intrasquad scrimmage with opposing teams, but it did feature plenty of offense-vs.-defense scenarios and live tackling. And the offense did settle in after that initial mishap, with all five quarterbacks who took the field leading at least one touchdown drive for the Bearcats, including Bryant and Arizona State transfer Emory Jones, who split reps with the first-team offense.
“There was some really outstanding play on both sides of the ball,” said Satterfield. “We had playmakers stepping up and making plays … from guys who have been here a long time to guys who just got here. In a spring game, for a coach, a win is keeping our guys healthy, and we did that.”
Here are the top takeaways from Saturday’s practice, including a few standout performances on the Cincinnati roster.
The QB battle continues
The main storyline entering Saturday was the ongoing competition between Bryant and Jones for the starting quarterback spot, and the spring game didn’t provide any definitive answer. Jones had his most impressive passing sequence of the spring on an early touchdown drive, completing all four of his pass attempts, the final one a 16-yard touchdown to tight end Payten Singletary.
“I would definitely say there was a little gamer action in there,” said Jones. “On Saturday, that’s when everything matters, when everything comes together.”
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Bryant rebounded from the strip-sack to orchestrate a long touchdown drive of his own, featuring a pair of pretty sideline completions to transfer receiver Sterling Berkhalter and a fourth-down conversion to tight end Caleb Schmitz. He later tossed a 10-yard touchdown to tight end Chamon Metayer during a red zone drill.
“I’m still really not at 100 percent right now,” said Bryant, who returned from a 2022 season-ending foot injury much quicker than anticipated. “Initially I thought I wouldn’t be able to do anything this spring at all. But I’ve worked really hard, my trainers have done a great job of getting me back out there.”
The offensive highlight of the afternoon, however, was a nearly 40-yard touchdown heave from four-star freshman quarterback Brady Drogosh to freshman wideout Barry Jackson, the pair of early enrollees connecting on a pretty pass-and-catch. Drogosh, who opted for a white, live-tackling uniform, hung tough in the pocket under pressure and Jackson managed to run under the ball and make a finger-tip snag in the end zone.
Satterfield had high praise for both of the youngsters afterward, noting that Drogosh has already put on 21 pounds since arriving in January and Jackson has quickly made himself a factor within a thin group of receivers.
“Barry to me, from Day 1 to Day 15, is probably the most improved of this spring,” Satterfield said of Jackson. “He’s a true freshman. He’s supposed to be getting ready for his prom right now, and he’s out here catching touchdowns in the spring game. He’s really grown up a lot in a short period of time. He’s certainly a guy we’re going to be able to use in the fall.”
In the end, neither Bryant nor Jones separated as the clear winner of the spring, which should make for an intriguing offseason for the pair of sixth-year quarterbacks in their final year of eligibility. Satterfield said that all players will come in next week for individual meetings with their position coaches, but any definitive verdict on the quarterback competition will be tough to arrive at in a battle that has become much tighter than most anticipated.
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“It’s hard to get an answer right now. I think it will come down to fall camp,” Jones said of his expectations for next week’s meeting. “But for me, I just want to be critiqued from spring, and I want honest answers about myself and how they view me.”
Disruptive defense
Defensive coordinator Bryan Brown prides himself on leading an aggressive unit that feasts on momentum-shifting splash plays, and that capability was on display Saturday from the opening snap. Even as the offense found a groove and managed to sustain a handful of scoring drives, the defense forced a few three-and-outs and flashed at all three levels. Grzesiak followed his strip-sack with a tackle for loss on running back Myles Montgomery a few plays later, and Malik Vann knifed into the backfield to blow a play dead for a “sack” on the same drive.
“I think (our tackling) tightened up,” said defensive end Jowon Briggs, who made a few tackles at or near the line of scrimmage. “We had days when we went live and tackling was a little loose, but I think guys came out and wanted to show out for the game. There’s always things to clean up, but I think it looked good out there.”
That level of disruption has been a theme for a Bearcats defense that looks poised to pick up where it left off under previous coach Luke Fickell. The unit has consistently come down with interceptions and created pressure in the backfield all spring, giving the new-look Cincinnati roster an early identity as the offense worked to find a rhythm.
“At the end of the day, that first unit of the defense had an impressive spring,” said Satterfield. “We want to be a defense that gets after the offense. We want to be aggressive. We want to cause problems in the backfield, create those turnovers, create those sacks, those negative plays. We’ll continue to press that.”
Standout performers
Barry Jackson, WR (Fr.): The early enrollee came on strong the last couple of weeks of practice and was the clear winner of the spring game, appearing to lead the offense in targets and receptions. For an obvious position of need, one the team is hoping to bolster via the transfer portal this spring and summer, Jackson has emerged as a piece that should be able to contribute sooner than expected.
Jordan Young, CB (R-So.): The Florida transfer has been impressive all spring and seems to have locked down the starting boundary corner spot. It was more of the same on Saturday, with a pair of impressive pass breakups on routes over the middle and freakish on-ball instincts in coverage.
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Payten Singletary, TE (R-Jr.): He’s been stuck behind Josh Whyle and Leonard Taylor during his Bearcats career, but Singletary should have ample opportunity this season alongside Chamon Metayer. He showed solid chemistry with Jones, a fellow Georgia native, on back-to-back receptions, the second for a touchdown.
“He’s been working his butt off the entire offseason, and he’s coming together really well,” Jones said of Singletary. “He’s going to be a guy we need, and we’ll use him a lot.”
Jah-Mal Williams, OLB (R-So.): Another player who has been buried down the depth chart at Cincinnati but is finally getting a chance to shine. He’s moved to the “dog” edge rushing position in the new system and flashed on Saturday, snagging an interception off quarterback Brady Lichtenberg and nearly coming down with a second.
James Camden, DB (R-Jr.): The walk-on from local Anderson High School has worked his way onto the second-team linebacker unit due to some injuries, and all he’s done is make plays this spring, including a number of sure tackles on the outside on Saturday.
Deshawn Pace, DB (Sr.): Arguably the MVP of the spring added to his already strong showing with a blocked field goal on a 33-yard attempt by kicker Carter Brown.
Up next
Satterfield mentioned that players will be in the office next week for individual meetings with coaches and hinted at the potential for roster departures and additions with the spring transfer portal window officially opening on Saturday.
“There are going to be conversations with guys about where they see their future right now. Is it as a Bearcat, or do you feel the need to go play somewhere else? Let’s have open and honest dialogue with every player at every position,” said Satterfield. “Today is the first day the portal is open and I’ve already seen some names that are flashing across there. So we’ll see.”
(Photo of Barry Jackson courtesy of Cincinnati Bearcats Athletics)
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