Hosey Williams looks to lead a talented trio of Cincy rushers in 2014. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
BEARCATS at a GLANCE
LOCATION: Cincinnati, Ohio
COACH: Tommy Tuberville – At Cincinnati: 9-4, 1 year;
overall: 139-81, 18 years
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Eddie Gran
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Hank Hughes, Robert Prunty
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: 2009
LAST TIME DIDN’T GO BOWLING: 2010
RETURNING STARTERS: 16; 7 offense, 7 defense, kicker, punter
PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Gunner Kiel, RB Hosey Williams, WR/RB Ralph David Abernathy IV, WR Chris Moore, WR Shaq Washington, OT Eric Lefeld, DE Silverberry Mouhon, LB Nick Temple, LB Jeff Luc
PRIMARY STRENGTHS: The top three rushers and five of the top six pass receivers return, as does Lefeld, the anchor of the offensive line. The defense may not have a transcendent star, but Mouhon has that potential at defensive end.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Kiel has the tools and Jarred Evans has JC quarterback experience, but neither has thrown a major college pass. A defensive leader must step up to replace LB Greg Blair. The hangover of poor 2013 special teams play could linger, with several of the same faces returning.
OFFENSE
Gunner Kiel is expected to start at quarterback after a year on the scout team. The highly regarded Notre Dame transfer has three years of eligibility remaining.
Scouts like Kiel’s big arm, precision and mobility. Kiel shows a nice touch on the deep ball, but needs to improve while throwing on the run. He appeared to seize the job during the spring, but he will be challenged in fall camp by junior college transfer Jarred Evans, who has a quick release and is fast afoot.
There’s also former starter Munchie Legaux, who returns for a fifth year after a severe knee injury ended his season last September. Anything that Legaux contributes would be a bonus.
UC returns its top three rushers in Hosey Williams (655 yards, four TDs), Ralph David Abernathy IV (518 yards, five TDs) and Tion Green (412 yards, seven TDs). Abernathy is too small (5-7, 161) to be an every down back. To get Abernathy on the field more, UC worked him at slot receiver in spring ball.
Cincinnati returns pass-catching leader Shaq Washington, a possession receiver who had 78 catches but just one touchdown. Junior Chris Moore (45 catches, nine TDs) is among several other returning wideouts.
At left tackle, Eric Lefeld was a unanimous first team All-AAC choice last year.
DEFENSE
The Bearcats finished No. 9 nationally in total defense, but Tommy Tuberville did not retain coordinator Art Kaufman.
Tuberville wanted to upgrade recruiting and hire coaches with more regional connections, so he tapped former Connecticut coordinator Hank Hughes to run the defense. Hughes will retain the 4-3 base that UC played last year.
Linebackers Nick Temple (80 tackles) and Jeff Luc (43 tackles), defensive end Silverberry Mouhon (9.5 sacks), safety Zach Edwards (73 tackles) and cornerback Howard Wilder (35 tackles) are among key returnees.
Mouhon became a force last year. His brother, true freshman LB Kevin Mouhon, is the Bearcats’ most highly rated 2014 recruit.
Linebacker remains a strength, with Northwestern transfer Eric Wilson joining Temple and Luc in the starting lineup. Luc, who began his career at Florida State, shifts inside to middle linebacker.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Veteran placekicker Tony Miliano slumped to 7-for-17 on field goal attempts last season. UC ranked No. 121 nationally in net punting (33.0), had a long kickoff return of only 38 yards and a long punt return of only 35 yards.
There were also misadventures in the coverage units, which is why there is a new special teams coach, former graduate assistant Marc Nudelberg.
OVERVIEW
The non-league menu includes tests at Ohio State and Miami, but the AAC portion seems favorable (no UCF, winnable road games). With Tuberville’s staff now entrenched, the needle points upward. It could be a big year if Kiel fulfills his billing, and if the defense shows more consistency under a new coordinator.
TOP NEWCOMER
LB Kevin Mouhon: The true freshman, brother of UC DE Silverberry Mouhon, originally committed to former Bearcats coach Butch Jones at Tennessee. Kevin Mouhon was rated the No. 12 ILB in the nation by ESPN.com, and his commitment was considered quite a coup for Cincinnati.
