Scott Satterfield enters his second season at the realm for the Bearcats after the Bearcats endured one of the most challenging seasons since the Tommy Tuberville era. However, for Satterfield, he made it known that the Bearcats were ready to turn the page after finishing the 2023 season just (3-9, 1-8 Big 12) in their initial Big 12 season.
“You can try to sweep the 2023 season under the rug and act like it didn’t happen, but the moral of the story was it happened,” Satterfield told reporters. “We didn’t like it, nobody liked it obviously for many reasons. We wanted to recognize not only what happened, but how it happened and what can we learn from last season. It was very difficult but having gone through that, it has to make us tighter as a football team, learn from that in hopes that history doesn’t repeat itself. To our guy’s credit, the ones who are returning, they really shared that with the new faces because they don’t quite know, they just got to campus, but we want them to understand what we went through and how we don’t want that to happen again.
Despite the Bearcats just three years removed from a college football playoff run, the message across the room from transfers Jared Bartlett, Brenden Sorsby, Darrick Canteen, Kye Stokes, and Joe Royer was all the same, and that was return Cincinnati football to where it was prior to the 2023 season. That message was, the Bearcats are looking to use that 2023 season as extra fuel to the fire heading into winter workouts.
Matter in fact, a winter workout program that players have described as the hardest winter workout program that they have been apart off throughout their playing career. “The guys have been working extremely hard this offseason and you have seen that throughout the videos we have put out there,” Satterfield explained. “We wanted to make it difficult and tough, which it has been. I was talking to Mason Fletcher on Monday where he told me, this is by far the hardest winter program that he has endured throughout his playing career, and he has been through a lot.”
“You can see that throughout this offseason program we have going on, it’s tough, maybe the toughest one that I have been a part of during my collegiate career, and I have been a part of some tough ones,” Joe Royer told reporters. “We weren’t apart of the team last season, but from what I have noticed throughout offseason workouts this team is very determined and dedicated to what we are doing in hope of getting Cincinnati football back to what it has been. Talking with some of the guys who have been here from last season, they said it is a night and day difference from a season ago.”
Sorsby Time in Cincinnati?
Scott Satterfield and staff made it a priority to get Brendan Sorsby on campus upon entering the transfer portal this past December after a great freshman campaign for Indiana in 2023. “I’m really excited to get to work,” Sorsby told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “When I entered the portal back in December, out of all the coaches that recruited me, I felt like I connected best with this staff here. Especially after coming on my visit. It just felt like the place that I was meant to be at.”
The 6’3″, 235-pound quarterback played in just 10 games for the Hoosiers last season where he threw for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns, while rushing for 286 yards and four touchdowns on 112 attempts a season ago. However, despite seeing just limited action, the Bearcats know the potential with Sorsby under center could skyrocket in a system like Scott Satterfield’s, which was a huge reason why he came to Cincinnati.
“You can see Brendan’s competitiveness on tape,’ Satterfield explained. “He fights for every yard. He has a great arm, great size, but also has some great twitch and can really run. I want that from the quarterback position because those type of guys will you to victories.”
Sorsby’s story is very similar to someone who had a fantastic career at Cincinnati, and that is Desmond Ridder. Like Ridder, Sorsby did not pick up his first division one offer until the night before his Senior night, the Indiana came calling in January of his senior season with their offer. That reason being, Sorsby was a late bloomer and only appeared in six games after breaking his hand halfway through his senior season. “I have always had a chip on my shoulder and felt like I have been counted out, but I am excited to get to work,” said Sorsby.
Despite Brady Lichtenberg, Brady Drogash, true freshman Samaj Jones alongside Sorsby there in the quarterback room, it is safe to say this will now be the third straight season in Cincinnati with a true quarterback battle set to take place. However, for Sorsby, his limited experience at the division one level sets him apart from the others heading into spring ball, but like he did in 2023, Sorsby is embracing the opportunity ahead of him with a chance to earn the starting nod heading into the season.
“I am just going to go out there and play ball, whatever happens, happens but you got to go to work every day and stay even keel,” said Sorsby. “It really all comes down to if you are ready to play when the opportunity comes and make the most of it.”
