Bearcats Secondary
The next main question heading into this spring is who would take over for Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant, who both stamped their name into Bearcats history as arguably the best defensive back duo in the country in 2021. The Bearcats knew they would have some pretty big shoes to fill from Gardner and Braynt, as Gardner a projected Top 5 pick in this month’s NFL Draft, was a consensus All-American in 2021, His battery-mate on the other side, Coby Bryant, the nation’s best defensive back, after winning the 2021 Jim Thorpe Award is now off to the NFL as well, but who is looking to fill those shoes you guys ask, so here’s some potentially candidates early on.
Justin Harris- Senior cornerback Justin Harris is one of the guys to keep an eye on. After missing most of the 2021 season due to injury, Harris is looking for the opportunity to come in and play an immediate role, whether it’s in the slot, or on the boundary. Harris has the ability to go in at multiple corner positions and we can see him a lot here in 2022.
Arquon Bush– Bush saw a lot of action in 2021, but he is stepping onto the role of Sauce Gardner, in terms of taking away the boundry. Bush a 6 foot senior as well, is stepping into that leadership role in the defensive back room along with Ja’von Hicks. We saw Bush in the slot during the 2021 season, but expect him to be lined up outside this fall on opposing receivers, and Week 1 will be a very fun match up when the Bearcats take on Arkansas, as we should see Bush take on former Oklahoma Sooner wide receiver Jadon Hasselwood, who transferred in the winter, as this will be a huge opportunity for Bush to start the season.
“I’m like a Swiss Army knife, I can do whatever, play the nickel, the slot, outside, just wherever the team needs me to play at, that’s what I feel like I can do, nickel corner, slot corner, it’s all the same thing to me. Replacing two great guys like Ahmad, and Coby, I love them both to death. Those two guys, are two great brothers to have, they were great leaders. The way they play the game, I can learn off their techniques, they’re two great guys. The cornerback room we all bond together, we’re a family.”
Bearcats now have former Ohio State cornerbacks coach/defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs back on campus after spending the last six years with the Buckeyes, and stints with the Tennessee Titans, before returning to Ohio State in 2020. Coombs brings that fire and passion to the Bearcats defense, and we have seen it early in camp.
“Coach Coombs, is a great coach, I love him. He drinks his 12 cups of coffee a day, that’s my guy. He’s a great coach and I trust him. Anything he teaches me, anything he tells me to do, I go out and do it. I trust him,” said Bush on his relationship with cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs.
