2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football
Military Bowl champion
Military Bowl, W 35–31 vs. Virginia Tech
Conference	American Athletic Conference
Division	East Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 23
AP	No. 24
Record	11–2 (6–2 The American)
Head coach	Luke Fickell (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Mike Denbrock (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Marcus Freeman (2nd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Nippert Stadium
Seasons ←  2017 2019  →

2018 American Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 11 UCF x$		8	–	0					12	–	1
Temple		7	–	1					8	–	5
No. 24 Cincinnati		6	–	2					11	–	2
South Florida		3	–	5					7	–	6
East Carolina		1	–	7					3	–	9
UConn		0	–	8					1	–	11
West Division
Memphis xy		5	–	3					8	–	6
Houston x		5	–	3					8	–	5
Tulane x		5	–	3					7	–	6
SMU		4	–	4					5	–	7
Navy		2	–	6					3	–	10
Tulsa		2	–	6					3	–	9
Championship: UCF 56, Memphis 41
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats play their home games at Nippert Stadium, and are members of the East Division in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Luke Fickell.

Recruits

The Bearcats signed a total of 23 recruits.

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Ty Van Fossen LB	Columbus, Ohio	St. Francis DeSales High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Mar 1, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Blake Bacevich DE	Cincinnati, Ohio	St. Xavier High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Mar 25, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Josh Whyle TE	Cincinnati, Ohio	La Salle High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Apr 6, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Colin Woodside OT	Lancaster, Ohio	Fairfield Union High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	Apr 14, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Malik Vann DE	Fairfield, Ohio	Fairfield High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Apr 18, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Ja'Von Hicks S	Cincinnati, Ohio	Colerain High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Apr 23, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Jayshon Jackson WR	Chicago, Illinois	Simeon Career Academy	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	May 26, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Arquon Bush CB	Euclid, Ohio	Euclid High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	167 lb (76 kg)	Jun 19, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Taj Ward CB	Solon, Ohio	Solon High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jun 19, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Jeremy Cooper OG	Chicago, Illinois	Mount Carmel High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	Jun 26, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Ben Bryant QB	LaGrange, Illinois	Lyons Township High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Darnell Shields S	Cleveland, Ohio	St. Edward High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Yanez Rogers WR	Pompano Beach, Florida	Blanche Ely High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	179 lb (81 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Daeshon Martin DE	Akron, Ohio	Archbishop Hoban High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Jul 25, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Charles McClelland RB	Homerville, Georgia	Clinch County High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Aug 5, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Ryan Montgomery RB	Franklin, Ohio	Franklin High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Oct 4, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Dylan O'Quinn TE	Millbury, Ohio	Lake High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	Oct 8, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Alec Pierce WR	Glen Ellyn, Illinois	Glenbard West High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	196 lb (89 kg)	Dec 11, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Lorenz Metz OT	Kirchdorf am Inn, Germany	Kirchdorf Wildcats	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Meechi Harris WR	Xenia, Ohio	Xenia High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	188 lb (85 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Myjai Sanders DE	Jacksonville, Florida	Raines High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	223 lb (101 kg)	Jan 22, 2018
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Leonard Taylor TE	Springfield, Ohio	Springfield High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Tavion Thomas RB	Dayton, Ohio	Dunbar High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 10, 2018.

Incoming transfers

Cincinnati added five transfers to the 2018 roster.

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Prev. School
Dino Boyd	OT	6'4"	300	Senior	Newark, NJ	Rhode Island
Darius Harper	OT	6'7"	325	Sophomore	Springfield, OH	Miami (OH)
Aulden Knight	WR	5'9"	162	Sophomore	Akron, OH	Hampton
Tinashe Bere	LB	6'1"	235	Senior	Cincinnati, OH	Duke
Cam Jefferies	CB	5'10"	188	Junior	Painesville, OH	Bowling Green

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Nagurski Trophy [1]	Marquise Copeland	DT	SR
Outland Trophy [2]
Wuerffel Trophy [3]	Garrett Campbell	OL	SR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award [4]	Hayden Moore	QB	SR

AAC media poll

The AAC media poll was released on July 24, 2018, with the Bearcats predicted to finish fourth in the AAC East Division. ^[5]

Media poll (East)
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	UCF	175 (25)
2	USF	140 (5)
3	Temple	132
4	Cincinnati	91
5	UConn	51
6	East Carolina	41

Schedule

The Bearcats' 2018 schedule will consist of six home games and six away games. Cincinnati will host two of its four non-conference games; against Alabama A&M from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and Ohio from the Mid-American Conference. They will take on long time rival Miami (OH) for their annual Victory Bell game at Paul Brown Stadium. ^[6] They will travel to UCLA for the first ever meeting between the Bearcats and Bruins.

The Bearcats will play eight conference games; hosting East Carolina, Navy, South Florida and Tulane. They will travel to UCF, UConn, SMU, and Temple.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	7:00 p.m.	at UCLA *		Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	ESPN	W 26–17	54,116
September 8	8:00 p.m.	vs. Miami (OH) *		Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, OH (Victory Bell)	ESPN3/FOX 19	W 21–0	16,062
September 15	7:00 p.m.	Alabama A&M *		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN3	W 63–7	28,834
September 22	12:00 p.m.	Ohio *		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 34–30	35,220
September 29	3:30 p.m.	at UConn		Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT	CBSSN	W 49–7	20,322
October 6	12:00 p.m.	Tulane		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 37–21	32,200
October 20	12:00 p.m.	at Temple	No. 20	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ESPNU	L 17–24 OT	33,026
October 27	3:30 p.m.	at SMU		Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, TX	CBSSN	W 26–20 OT	16,121
November 3	3:30 p.m.	Navy		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 42–0	36,318
November 10	7:00 p.m.	South Florida		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPNU	W 35–23	29,310
November 17	8:00 p.m.	at No. 11 UCF	No. 24	Spectrum Stadium Orlando, FL (rivalry, College GameDay)	ABC	L 13–38	47,795
November 23	3:30 p.m.	East Carolina		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	CBSSN	W 56–6	21,230
December 31	12:00 p.m.	vs. Virginia Tech *		Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, MD (Military Bowl)	ESPN	W 35–31	32,832
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 30) - Released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

at UCLA

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	0	17	0	9	26
Bruins	10	0	7	0	17

See also: 2018 UCLA Bruins football team

Expected to be an easy warmup opponent in the UCLA debut of Chip Kelly, the Bearcats were rude guests stunning the double digit favorite Bruins in the Rose Bowl. Michael Warren II rushed for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns, as the Bearcats rallied from an early 10–0 deficit to win. The Bearcats clinching touchdown came after the Bruins were called for a penalty during a Bearcats field goal attempt leading 19–17. Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell boldly gambled that the Bearcats could convert a 4th and 1 deep in Bruins territory and accepted the penalty, which took the field goal off the board. The Bearcats converted the 4th down and Warren scored a touchdown a few plays later to ice the game.

Vs. Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	7	0	0	14	21
RedHawks	0	0	0	0	0

See also: 2018 Miami RedHawks football team and Victory Bell (Cincinnati–Miami)

Played in a steady downpour, the Bearcats ground out a 21–0 win over the RedHawks to retain possession of the Victory Bell for the 13th straight season. This was the Bearcats' first shutout since blanking the Redhawks in 2013. Utilizing a ground attack, the Bearcats were led by redshirt freshman Desmond Ridder who had 117 yards rushing, and Michael Warren II with 94 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Though the game was played in soggy conditions, there was only one turnover committed by both teams combined. The game was played at Paul Brown Stadium in front of only 16,089 fans.

Alabama A&M

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	7	0	7
Bearcats	28	14	14	7	63

See also: 2018 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team

In their home opener, The Bearcats scored on their first six possessions, led by Desmond Ridder's 9 for 10 passing and 3 touchdowns in the first quarter (the only quarter he played) as the Bearcats throttled the 1-AA Bulldogs. The Bearcats scored 49 points before the visitors from Huntsville could get a score.

Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	14	10	3	3	30
Bearcats	0	7	14	13	34

See also: 2018 Ohio Bobcats football team

The Bearcats rallied from a 7–24 deficit to defeat the Bobcats. James Wiggins' goal-line interception in the 4th quarter snuffed out a late Bobcat drive and sealed the win.

at UConn

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	7	14	21	7	49
Huskies	7	0	0	0	7

See also: 2018 UConn Huskies football team

The Bearcats spotted the Huskies an opening touchdown then ripped off 49 unanswered points to win their conference opener. Desmond Ridder threw for 270 yards, two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Bearcats rolled up 659 yards on offense.

Tulane

	1	2	3	4	Total
Green Wave	7	7	0	7	21
Bearcats	3	21	6	7	37

See also: 2018 Tulane Green Wave football team

Michael Warren rushed for 123 yards including a career long 81 yarder for a touchdown that gave the Bearcats the lead for good, and it was a happy Homecoming as the Bearcats improved to 2–0 in conference. The Bearcats broke the game open by scoring 27 straight points between the 2nd and 4th quarters. With the win, the Bearcats not only stayed unbeaten, they also became Bowl-eligible for the first time since 2015.

at Temple

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 20 Bearcats	7	3	7	0	0	17
Owls	10	0	0	7	7	24

See also: 2018 Temple Owls football team

Ranked in the regular season for the first time since 2013, the Bearcats were now in the role of the hunted and it did not suit them well, as numerous late gaffes by the Bearcats allowed the Owls to rally from a 17-10 4th quarter deficit to win 24–17 in overtime. The Owls scored first in the extra session and Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder was intercepted to end the game. The loss was Cincinnati's third straight to Temple.

at SMU

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bearcats	7	0	10	3	6	26
Mustangs	7	0	7	6	0	20

See also: 2018 SMU Mustangs football team

The Bearcats bounced back from their first loss to win a taut game in Dallas. Again the Bearcats raced out to a lead and again let the opponent rally back. The Bearcats were staked to a 17–7 lead in the third quarter from a pair of 32 yard Ridder to Kahlil Lewis touchdown passes and a Cole Smith field goal. The Mustangs rallied with 13 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters to take a 20–17 lead. Smith's second field goal with no time left in regulation forced overtime. SMU had first possession in overtime when SMU quarterback Ben Hicks was intercepted by James Wiggins who returned the stolen pass 86 yards for a touchdown to give the Bearcats a walk-off win. Desmond Ridder threw for 352 yards and 2 touchdowns. The win avenged the homecoming loss to SMU from the previous season, ruining the Mustangs' homecoming in kind. The win moved the Bearcats to 7–1, their best start since the 2011 team also started 7–1.

Navy

	1	2	3	4	Total
Midshipmen	0	0	0	0	0
Bearcats	7	21	7	7	42

See also: 2018 Navy Midshipmen football team

Cincinnati's previous meeting with Navy was a 42–32 loss, as the Bearcats could not slow much less stop the Midshipmen's triple option. This meeting, Navy's first ever in Cincinnati, the Bearcats were determined not to let the scenario repeat. Holding the Middies to 57 first half yards (all rushing) the Bearcats got a pair of touchdowns from Michael Warren II to go with a pair of touchdowns from Desmond Ridder (1 rush, 1 pass) as the Bearcats thrashed Navy 42–0, the Bearcats' second shutout of the season. The win moved the Bearcats to 8-1 their best start since 2009.

South Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	9	7	7	0	23
No. 25 Bearcats	7	7	21	0	35

See also: 2018 South Florida Bulls football team

The Bearcats returned to nationally ranked status at 25 and this time did not squander its ranking. Michael Warren II scored 4 TDs as the Bearcats broke open a tight game in the third quarter and pulled away to a 35–23 win over South Florida. The Bearcats were trailing 16–14 in the third when Warren broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run, his second of the day after catching a touchdown pass from Desmond Ridder. Warren would add two more scores in the third quarter and finish with 151 rushing yards. The win moved Cincinnati to 9-1 and set up a showdown with defending conference champ University of Central Florida. It was announced shortly after the game that the matchup with UCF the upcoming Saturday would not only be nationally televised as the College Football Saturday Night Game of the Week on ABC, but also be the focus of the ESPN College Gameday.

at UCF

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Bearcats	6	0	0	7	13
No. 11 Knights	7	14	7	10	38

See also: 2018 UCF Knights football team

With its highest regular season ranking (19) in seven years, the Bearcats traveled to Orlando to face unbeaten and 11th ranked UCF. In front a rowdy Spectrum Stadium crowd and a nationally televised audience, the Bearcats started strong. A Kimoni Fitz strip-sack/fumble in the end zone gave the Bearcats a 6–0 lead and quieted the UCF crowd, but Cole Smith missed the extra point and the Knights promptly raced back down the field to take the lead on McKenzie Milton's short run. The Knights were never headed again, scoring 35 straight points and rolling to a 38–13 win. The Bearcat offense never got on track and the Knights clinched the AAC Eastern Division title.

East Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	6	0	0	6
Bearcats	21	21	7	7	56

See also: 2018 East Carolina Pirates football team

Desmond Ridder threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns in the first half as the Bearcats steamrolled the Pirates on Senior Day 56–6. Khalil Lewis finished with a career high 202 yards on 9 catches and 3 touchdowns. With top running back Michael Warren sidelined with a shoulder injury, Charles McClelland filled in capably with 114 yards rushing which included a 55-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Bearcats scored the game's first 35 points and were never threatened. The defense got in on the scoring as well with Arquon Bush intercepting a fourth quarter pass and taking the stolen loaf 36 yards back for the game's final score. The 56 points marked the fourth time this season the Bearcats topped 40 points in a game. The Bearcats honored 14 seniors, who were sent out with a home finale win before a Thanksgiving Friday afternoon crowd. With this win, Cincinnati completed its first unbeaten home schedule since 2009, and its first double-digit win season since 2012. The 10 wins before the bowl game was the most since the 2009 team completed an unbeaten 12–0 season. The Bearcats accepted a bid from the Military Bowl against Virginia Tech, their first bowl bid since the 2015 season and looked to claim their first bowl win since the 2012 Belk Bowl.

Vs. Virginia Tech (Military Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	7	7	7	14	35
Hokies	7	7	10	7	31

See also: 2018 Virginia Tech Hokies football team and 2018 Military Bowl

The Bearcats won their first bowl game since the 2012 Belk Bowl and avenged a previous Military Bowl loss to the Hokies with a thrilling win. Michael Warren's 8 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter proved to be the winning score. The game was not sealed until James Wiggins' acrobatic interception at his own 30 late in the fourth quarter. The University of Cincinnati Bearcats completed their best season since 2011 and finished in the national rankings 23rd in the Coaches poll and 24th in the AP Poll.

Personnel

Roster and staff

2018 Cincinnati Bearcats football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Kahlil Lewis Sr RB 3 Michael Warren II So RB 5 Tavion Thomas Fr QB 6 Ben Bryant Fr WR 7 Javan Hawes So QB 8 Hayden Moore  Sr QB 9 Desmond Ridder  Fr RB 10 Charles McClelland Fr QB 10 Jake Sopko  So TE 11 Leonard Taylor Fr WR 12 Alec Pierce Fr WR 13 Trent Cloud  Fr WR 14 Yanez Rogers Fr RB 15 Taylor Boose  Jr QB 16 John Keller Fr WR 17 Rashad Medaris  Jr WR 18 Meechi Harris Fr WR 19 Tyrin Summers  So WR 20 Aulden Knight So WR 21 Jayshon Jackson Fr RB 23 Gerrid Doaks  So WR 25 Casey Kirk  Fr WR 26 Jerron Rollins Jr RB 29 Alex Dowds Fr RB 30 Michael Kopaygorodsky  Fr RB 41 Colin Thurman Fr TE 44 Mick Oakes Fr OL 50 Dylan O'Quinn Fr OL 51 Lorenz Metz Fr OL 53 Tyler McGarr  Jr OL 54 Keith Minor  Sr OL 55 Alex Heil  Jr OL 56 Kyle Trout  Sr OL 58 Darius Harper So OL 59 Colin Truett Fr OL 60 Zach Bycznski  So OL 62 Mason Garrison  Jr OL 65 Cody Lamb  Fr OL 66 Ethan Voelker Fr OL 68 Doug Bates  So OL 70 Jakari Robinson  Fr OL 71 Colin Woodside Fr OL 72 Garrett Campbell  Sr OL 73 Blake Yager Jr OL 74 Jeremy Cooper Fr OL 75 Chris Ferguson  Sr OL 76 Dino Boyd Sr OL 77 Vincent McConnell  Fr OL 78 Morgan James  Jr OL 79 Drew Hartmann  Fr WR 80 Malick Mbodj  So TE 81 Josh Whyle Fr TE 82 Wilson Huber  Fr TE 83 Josiah Deguara  Jr WR 84 Wyatt Fischer Fr WR 85 Thomas Geddis Jr WR 86 Jack Peterson  Fr TE 87 Bruno Labelle  So WR 88 Braxton Neal Jr WR 89 Jake Peterson Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 2 Tyrell Gilbert  Sr S 3 Ja'von Hicks Fr LB 4 Malik Clements Sr LB 6 Perry Young Jr CB 7 Coby Bryant So LB 8 Jarell White So CB 9 Arquon Bush Fr CB 10 Christian Angulo  Jr LB 11 Bryan Wright  Jr CB 12 TJ Johnson  So LB 13 Ty Van Fossen Fr CB 14 Cameron Jeffries Jr CB 15 Taj Ward Fr S 16 Darrick Forrest So CB 18 Josiah Robey  Fr DE 19 Ethan Tucky  So DE 21 Myjai Sanders Fr S 22 Collin Widecan  So LB 23 RJ Potts  Fr CB 24 Noah Hamlin  Fr S 27 Will Adams Fr S 30 Chris Murphy  Sr CB 31 Marquis Smith  So S 32 James Wiggins  So DE 33 Blake Bacevich Fr LB 34 Kyle Bolden  Fr LB 35 Ryan Royer  Fr CB 38 Jake Tewart Fr LB 40 Ty Sponseller  So LB 41 Joel Dublanko  So DE 42 Malik Vann Fr DE 43 Michael Pitts  So DT 44 Marquise Copeland Sr LB 47 Nate Lawler Fr LB 48 Kevin Mouhon  Sr DE 51 Kimoni Fitz Sr DL 52 Daeshon Martin Fr DE 86 Angelo Howze  Fr DT 89 Nick Staderman  So DT 90 Jabari Taylor Fr DT 92 Curtis Brooks  So DT 93 Elijah Ponder  So DT 94 Chase Brown Fr DT 95 Joe Schroer  Jr DT 96 Cortez Broughton Sr DE 97 Zane Wilson Fr DE 98 Mychal Keys Fr DT 99 Marcus Brown  So	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 19 Cole Smith Fr P 37 James Smith So LS 57 Cory Armstrong  So LS 59 Zach Wood  Jr LS 74 Blake Bammann Fr K 97 Ryan Jones Jr	Head coach Luke Fickell (Ohio State) – 2nd year Coordinators/assistant coaches Mike Denbrock (Grand Valley State) 2nd year – (Offensive Coordinator/ Tight Ends) Marcus Freeman (Ohio State) 2nd year – (Defensive Coordinator/ Linebackers) Brian Mason (Denison) 1st year – (Special Teams Coordinator) Ron Crook (West Liberty State) 2nd year – (Offensive Line) Gino Guidugli (Cincinnati) 2nd year – (Quarterbacks) Mike Mickens (Cincinnati) 1st year – (Cornerbacks) Doug Phillips (Toledo) 2nd year – (Running Backs) Joker Phillips (Kentucky) 2nd year (4th overall) – (Wide Receivers) Steve Stripling (Colorado) 4th year – (Defensive Line) Jon Tenuta (Virginia) 2nd year – (Safeties) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

Depth chart

Defense FS James Wiggins Chris Murphy ⋅ WLB MLB SLB Perry Young Bryan Wright Malik Clements ⋅ Joel Dublanko Jarell White ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ SS Darrick Forrest Ja'von Hicks ⋅ CB Tyrell Gilbert Noah Hamlin Christian Angulo DE DT DT DE Kimoni Fitz Marquise Copeland Cortez Broughton Michael Pitts Malik Vann Markus Brown Curtis Brooks Ethan Tucky ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ CB Coby Bryant Cameron Jeffries Arquon Bush Offense WR Kahlil Lewis Trent Cloud Malick Mbodj WR Thomas Geddis Javon Hawes Alec Pierce LT LG C RG RT Dino Boyd Kyle Trout Garrett Campbell Morgan James Chris Ferguson Vincent McConnell Zach Bycznski Jakari Robinson Jeremy Cooper Blake Yager ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ TE Josiah Deguara Bruno Labelle Wilson Huber WR Rashad Medaris Jerron Rollins Jayshon Jackson QB Desmond Ridder Hayden Moore Ben Bryant RB Michael Warren II Gerrid Doaks Charles McClelland

Rankings

Further information: 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	25	20	RV	RV	25	19	RV	RV	RV	24
Coaches	—	—	RV	RV	RV	RV	25	21	RV	RV	23	20	RV	RV	RV	23
CFP	Not released									—	—	24	—	—	—	Not released

Awards and milestones

Weekly Awards Player Award Date Awarded Ref. Bryan Wright Co-Defensive Player of the Week September 3, 2018 [7] James Wiggins Defensive Player of the Week October 29, 2018 Cole Smith Special Teams Player of the Week October 29, 2018 Cortez Broughton Defensive Player of the Week October 29, 2018 Arquon Bush Defensive Player of the Week November 26, 2018 Individual Awards Award Recipient Ref. AAC Rookie of the Year Desmond Ridder [7] AAC Coach of the Year Luke Fickell Ray Guy Award (finalist) James Smith [8] All-American Player AP AFCA FWAA TSN WCFF Ref James Smith 2 2 [7] The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections.

All-AAC Player Position Team Dino Boyd OT 1 Cortez Broughton DT 1 Perry Young LB 1 James Smith P 1 Garrett Campbell C 2 Josiah Deguara TE 2 Michael Warren II RB 2 Marquise Copeland DT 2 Kimoni Fitz DE 2 James Wiggins S 2 Reference: [7]

2019 NFL Draft

Main article: 2019 NFL draft

The following Bearcat player was selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.

	Rnd.	Pick No.	NFL team	Player	Pos.	College	Conf.	Notes
	7	242	Los Angeles Chargers	Cortez Broughton	DT	Cincinnati	The American

References

1. "2018 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". Sportswriters.net. FWAA. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
2. "2018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". Sportswriters.net. FWAA. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
3. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
4. "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
5. "UCF Tabbed as Favorite in 2018 Preseason Media Poll". TheAmerican.org. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
6. Clark, Dave (September 11, 2017). "UC Bearcats, Miami RedHawks extend rivalry through 2029". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
7. "American Athletic Conference Football Report" (PDF). American Athletic Conference. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
8. "James Smith Named Ray Guy Award Finalist". GoBearcats.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.