Less than 20 weeks remain until the Cincinnati Bearcats take the field for the first time in 2024, when they will host Towson Saturday, August 31st at Nippert Stadium. With Spring Practice and the Spring Game now in the rearview mirror, the focus now shifts towards the Bearcats coaching staff filling out the roster through the transfer portal and the last few scholarships they have. The start of Fall Camp is just under three-and-a-half months away.
For us at The Front Office News, we want to give you a overview of each position group on the Bearcats roster. Having called Bearcats Football games before, I can tell you the prep work is enormous. I’ve done spotting boards ranging from 90 players all the way to 156. It can be hard to keep track of all those players and position groups, with the depth chart going seven deep sometimes. So we’re going to go through each position group on the roster- separate articles for each of the 11 position groups- by listing each player in that group and what they have done so far in their Bearcats/college careers and where they stand going into this season. With that, here’s a look at the 11 wide receivers on the Bearcats roster going into 2024.
#0, Tony Johnson, 5’10”, 195 lbs., R-Jr., Oscala, Fla., FAU Transfer
Johnson brings some good pedigree after three seasons at Florida Atlantic. He’s coming off a season where he had 37 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns, earning him a nomination for the Burlsworth Award (the Burlswoth Award is given to the best player in College Football who began his career as a walk-on). Johnson scored seven touchdowns in three seasons in Boca Raton, Florida, and his pedigree can be a significant boost for a thin Bearcats receiving corps.
#3, Evan Prater, 6’4″, 202 lbs., R-Sr., Cincinnati, Wyoming High School
Evan Prater is still here. That’s what’s is seemingly so crazy. It feels like he has been here 20 years, but he hasn’t made that breakthrough we’ve been waiting for and hoping for ever since he committed back in 2019. In 2023, his first year as a wide receiver, Prater racked up 114 yards on 12 receptions. He had three receptions for 31 yards in the season-opener against Eastern Kentucky and had a 22-yard reception against West Virginia.
#4, Tyrin Smith, 5’7″, 165 lbs., R-Sr., Cibolo, Texas, Previously played for Cisco College and UTEP
Smith only played four games in 2023, but his 2022 season offers plenty of hope for the Bearcats. Smith’s 71 receptions for 1,039 yards and seven touchdowns all led UTEP and earned him Honorable Mention All-Conference-USA. His 86.6 receiving yards per game ranks second and 74 receptions ranked fourth in C-USA, and Smith also had four 100-yard receiving games.
