Braden Smith– Smith, a redshirt senior who spent the last two seasons with Satterfield and staff at Louisville with now teammate Dee Wiggins and are looking to help in any way they can on and off the field ahead of next week’s season opener. “I have been with this staff for a couple of years now, so making the transition to Cincinnati, just trying to pick up where we left off,” Smith said. “I’m trying to get better, and make a statement this year, first year in the Big 12. I know what the coaches want to do, I know their strengths and weaknesses, so coming in already knowing the playbook has allowed me to play faster and start off camp on a great note.”
Smith, a 5’10”, 185-pound receiver who hauled in 59 receptions from 2020-2022 for 653 yards and two touchdowns has been a guy that Scott Satterfield and Brad Glenn have mentioned quite a bit heading into fall camp. Smith missed some time at Louisville after suffering what Satterfield described as a gruesome knee injury back in 2021, but Satterfield was excited to see Smith looking like his old self to kick off fall camp. “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.”
“I feel 100% healthy after dealing with injury the last couple years,” Smith told TFON. “I am determined to try and play my role as good as I possibly can, whether that is the number one guy, or number three, whatever that may be, I am just trying to master my role as this offense looks to make a huge statement heading into the Big 12.”
Dee Wiggins– Wiggins, is entering his 6th season of college football after spending the first four seasons of his career at Miami University where he hauled in 62 receptions for 791 yards and seven touchdowns. Wiggins, then transferred to Louisville ahead of the 2022 season, but only played in three games before suffering a season ending toe injury vs Florida State. “I’m back now, I feel like I am better than ever, to be honest with you,” said Wiggins.
Wiggins and now teammate Braden Smith weren’t just teammates at Louisville last season, they were also roommates. The tandem looks like to set the standard early for the Bearcats wide receivers, after coming to Cincinnati from Louisville, they have the leg up on other receivers already knowing what Scott Satterfield and staff are looking for on offense. “A lot of these guys, this is a new scheme, new offense, new coaching staff, so I am going to try my best to lead those guys and point them in the right direction, whether that is in the locker rooms, dorms,” said Smith. “Dee was my roommate at Louisville, and fortunately we were able to link back up here at Cincinnati. We just try to push each other and hold each other accountable knowing we are two of the older guys in that room. I think we have done a great job, really setting the standard for these guys.”
Wiggins, is listed at 6’3″, 195 pounds after playing the last season at 188, but gives a lot of praise to strength and conditioning coach Niko Palazeti for the work he has done this offseason in the weight room ahead of this season. “I can’t even lie to you, this summer has been stressful, but we know it’s for the better, to get us out here, prepare for the season. He put a lot of weight on me, I have never been this big,” said Wiggins. “Niko is doing the right thing with us.”
