New Look Wide Receiver Room
The Bearcats wide receiver room will look a lot different this season as only one returner from a season ago returns for 2023, in Chris Scott. However, the Bearcats went out and made some huge additions in bringing in veteran receivers Dee Wiggins, Sterling Berkhalter, Donovan Ollie, Xzavier Henderson, Braden Smith and Aaron Turner via transfer portal. All of which have played multiple seasons of college football and have produced at a high level throughout their careers. Then you add former quarterback Evan Prater into that mix as well and where does he stand within that group.
“I’m very excited about that group,” Satterfield said. “For a receiver room, it’s the most unselfish receiver room I have been a part of throughout my coaching career. These guys are very coachable players in that room. These guys have produced a lot in their careers, just haven’t been here at Cincinnati, so they know what it takes to go out there and make plays. I feel really good about that group, we have length, size, strength, also some smaller slot guys that we will be able to utilize in many different ways. We have guys who can also throw the ball in that position, Braden Smith has thrown four touchdown passes in his career.”
Where does Evan Prater fit into that group you may ask? “Evan Prater is now out there, with a unique skillset, has size, speed, athleticism. He can do a lot of different things,” Satterfield said, “He is like that new toy you get on Christmas you’re excited about, the one you can do a lot of different things with, he’s looked really good, I am excited.”
Braden Smith was a name Satterfield mentioned frequently in his press conference earlier this week and will look to make an immediate impact for the Bearcats on offense this year. Smith spent the last two years at Louisville with this coaching staff and has a leg up on the other receivers already since he’s very familiar with the offense Satterfield likes to run. “I thought Braden Smith did some great things today in our first practice of camp,” Satterfield said. “Braden looked like he did at Louisville two season ago, last year he was coming off a gruesome knee injury, and wasn’t really full speed, but played all season for us. He is now back to his old self, he’s very smart, intelligent, he understands our offense, he knows where he has to get to, in terms of the holes in the defense, He made some great catches today.”
