In a clear new era of college football, every off-season revolves around the transfer portal to build and improve a team’s roster. That’s the case for every school in the country, but especially for a program that has a new coach who has jumped schools within the Power 5 conferences. New Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield has a reputation as a great recruiter. He has shown that with some key additions to this Bearcat football team, he will undoubtedly improve the offensive side of the ball for the 2023 campaign.
The Bearcat offense is primed to look very different across the board this season with 12 total transfers. There could be a potential of seven positions being held by transfer portal guys coming kickoff week one vs EKU. We’re going to take a deeper look at three very intriguing players that all Bearcat fans need to know. These guys should absolutely contribute mightily for Cincinnati in the inaugural Big 12 season.
Quarterback Emory Jones
Jones is probably the most exciting transfer at first glance for Cincinnati this year. This is the case even more since the recent exit of Ben Bryant into the transfer portal this off-season. Cincinnati is the experienced and tenured quarterback’s third and final stop in his long college career. The highly touted, four-star quarterback out of the 2018 class is originally from Lagrange, GA. At first, he was committed to play for Ohio State. On signing day in 2017, Jones flipped from the Buckeyes to the Florida Gators. He was the fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback and the overall 59th player in the ESPN 300 that year.
Jones’ Path to Cincinnati
Jones played sparingly at Florida his first few seasons but earned the starting job in his fourth season in 2021. That year was his best. He posted 2,734 yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 759 yards, and four rushing touchdowns. However, there was a blossoming young quarterback beating down the door behind him by the name of Anthony Richardson who basically ushered Jones to the portal. He landed on his feet in Tempe, Arizona to play for the Sun Devils.
The 6-3 212-pound Jones had an underachieving 2022 season that was cut short due to injury. He posted about 1,500 passing yards and just seven touchdowns. The big thing that stands out about last season with Jones is the negligible rushing game. This is where he thrived at Florida, and it absolutely is an aspect of his game that Satterfield is going to count on.
What He Brings to the Bearcat Offense
Jones is a loose, dynamic athlete who is at his best in designed runs and outside the pocket. He’s a very rhythmic quarterback who could find some trouble if his first read isn’t there. He has a fairly live arm but might struggle with some downfield accuracy and touch. Look for Jones to be used much more as an athlete this season, in a similar way that Louisville used Malik Cunningham to great success last year. Jones and Satterfield look like a great match based on both of their previous successes apart. Assuming that it is Jones under center in week one, he should be a force in a high-powered run attack that will put pressure on defenses weekly.
Wide Receiver Xzavier Henderson
Jones’s former Gator teammate for 2 years is a late transfer addition, Xzavier Henderson. He becomes the third former Florida player to transfer to Clifton this season, the other being cornerback Jordan Young. Henderson is a former four-star, top-75 overall recruit and comes from an athletic family. He is the brother of former Jacksonville Jaguars top-10 pick CJ Henderson. He comes from Miami, Florida and many thought he was a shoe-in to transfer to the Hurricanes before he posted his allegiance to the Bearcats in late May.
The 6-3 195 lb wide receiver had his best year to date in 2022 with the Gators. He posted numbers of a team-leading 38 receptions, 410 yards, and two touchdowns catching passes from the aforementioned 2023 Indianapolis Colts first-round pick, Anthony Richardson.
How He’ll Contribute
Henderson is a big-body guy who will bring some flexibility and versatility to the Bearcat offense. He is very experienced from the slot position but played most snaps on the outside in 2022. When in the slot, it wasn’t uncommon to see him go in motion pre-snap and maybe even get a handoff on a jet motion play. He likely isn’t going to wow you with his great explosiveness or athleticism. While he’s a good athlete, he isn’t one to create a ton after the catch and break tackles downfield. He doesn’t excel laterally enough to be that type of guy. He saw a lot of touches come in the form of screens or short passes where he can make guys miss due to his size but didn’t often turn them into explosive plays.
Henderson’s strengths come when he gets going with great speed on longer crossing or vertical routes. He was a highly impressive track star in high school posting times of 47.17 in the 400m and 21.09 in the 200m. He also has an impressive feel for defenses and can make life easier on a quarterback by finding and sitting in soft spots in defensive zone coverages for easy completions. As far as the run game goes, I think Henderson can be an imposing blocker on the edge.
Guard Luke Kandra
We can’t forget to show some love to the boys in the trenches. Kandra comes over as a transfer from Louisville, alongside Satterfield. Only for Kandra, it means he’s coming home, as well. He is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of Elder High School in 2020. Kandra was ranked as Ohio’s 19th overall player by 247Sports in the class of 2020. He was just ahead of current Bearcats with hopeful seasons, defensive lineman Justin Wodtly and receiver Chris Scott.
Running the Ball
Coach Satterfield brought over Nic Cardwell with him to be Cincinnati’s OL coach this year upon the departure of Mike Cummings. Cardwell was on staff at Louisville as a Quality Control assistant according to the 2022 staff directory. One thing we know about this coaching staff is they will establish the run. Louisville ran it for 214.6 yards per game in 2021, good for 14th in the country. Last year in 2022, the story was the same, 201.5 yards per game for 17th in the country according to TeamRankings.com.
Where Kandra Fits In
Bearcat fans are likely to see a very revamped version of the offensive line this season. With several key departures, but several crucial additions as well. Kandra played most of his career snaps at right guard for the Cardinals, but all of them at one of the guard spots. With both guard spots being up for grabs, combined with Kandra’s experience with Satterfield’s zone-based run scheme and offensive line coach Nick Cardwell’s coaching style, it should give him a leg up to help him see contribute significantly this season back for his hometown team.
Takeaways
The 2023 Cincinnati Bearcat Offense is going to look incredibly different than the prior years. There is great hope that the many incoming transfers, especially those highlighted here, can lead a dynamic offense with a consistent, fearsome rushing attack setting up big play opportunities in the passing game in Cincinnati’s first Big 12 season.
Photo courtesy: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
