The last three years safeties James Wiggins and Darrick Forrest were patrolling the back end with great success and now are both in the NFL. Forrest was drafted by the Washington Football Team and Wiggins was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2021 NFL Draft. Wiggins and Forrest both received a lot of accolades from the AAC during their time with the Bearcats and both had great careers. With how great those two were you would think the program would be in a bad spot, but with the great recruiting Luke Fickell and crew have done they are in a great spot.
Forrest didn’t miss games during his time, but when Wiggins missed his junior year with an ACL injury it was an opportunity for them sophomore Ja’von Hicks to get valuable playing time. Hicks played great starting all the games that season earning All-AAC Honorable Mention. He showed his play making ability, something that was touted when he was a two side star at local powerhouse Colerain High School. He had 50 tackles, five interceptions, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. The obvious consensus is he’s a ball hawk. Last season he saw spot duty because Wiggins was back in the fold, but his play was so good during his sophomore season, you can’t do anything, but expect a great senior season for the Cincinnati native.
With Hicks being a known commodity, you have to look over at his partner in crime that is also a local product in Bryan Cook. Cook graduated from Mount Healthy High School, but originally played his first two years at Howard, he transferred in during the 2019 season, which was the season Hicks ascended, Cook sat out the entire season besides the Birmingham Bowl. He played a lot of spot duty last season like Hicks because of Wiggins and Forrest being fixtures in the backend, but late in the season Wiggins missed a few games due to injury and the junior stepped up huge. The game against Georgia in the Peach Bowl, he played so well people forgot Wiggins was even out with injury. He’s a real physical player that once he reads something he’s coming full speed to wreck shop. He had seven tackles against Georgia, during the season he 26 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss and two passes defensed. The momentum he generated from the Peach Bowl will bode well for his senior season.
The secondary will have two experienced safeties that both have the chance to play just as well as the guys that led the charge before them. The question is who will be the members in the second unit between juniors Will Adams and Jacob Dingle, as well as freshman Bryon Threats and Armorion Smith and sophomore De’Arre McDonald? The talent is in the program, but don’t be shocked by big years by Cooks and Hicks.
