2025 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

2025 Cincinnati Bearcats football
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 21
AP	No. 21
Record	6–1 (4–0 Big 12)
Head coach	Scott Satterfield (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Brad Glenn (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread option
Defensive coordinator	Tyson Veidt (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Cortney Braswell (1st season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Nippert Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ←  2024 2026 →

2025 Big 12 Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 11 BYU		4	–	0					7	–	0
No. 21 Cincinnati		4	–	0					6	–	1
No. 24 Arizona State		3	–	1					5	–	2
No. 14 Texas Tech		3	–	1					6	–	1
Houston		3	–	1					6	–	1
Iowa State		2	–	2					5	–	2
TCU		2	–	2					5	–	2
Utah		2	–	2					5	–	2
Baylor		2	–	2					4	–	3
Kansas		2	–	2					4	–	3
Kansas State		2	–	2					3	–	4
Arizona		1	–	3					4	–	3
UCF		1	–	3					4	–	3
Colorado		1	–	3					3	–	4
West Virginia		0	–	4					2	–	5
Oklahoma State		0	–	4					1	–	6
Championship: December 6, 2025
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant As of October 20, 2025 Rankings from AP Poll

The 2025 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represents the University of Cincinnati during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats, members of the Big 12 Conference, play home games at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. 2025 is the program's third season under head coach Scott Satterfield.

Offseason

Positions key

Offense	Defense	Special teams
QB — Quarterback RB — Running back FB — Fullback WR — Wide receiver TE — Tight end OL — Offensive lineman T — Tackle G — Guard C — Center	DL — Defensive lineman DE — Defensive end [a] DT — Defensive tackle [b] LB — Linebacker [c] DB — Defensive back CB — Cornerback S — Safety [d]	K — Kicker [e] P — Punter LS — Long snapper RS — Return specialist [f]
Sometimes referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE) Includes nose tackle (NT) Includes middle linebacker (MLB or MIKE), outside linebacker (OLB, WILL, SAM), and off-ball linebacker Includes free safety (FS) and strong safety (SS) Also known as a placekicker (PK) Includes kickoff and punt returners

Coaching staff changes

Departures

Departures

Name	Position	Reason for leaving	New school	New position
Kerry Coombs	Special teams and cornerbacks coach	Fired [1]
Nate Fuqua	Co-defensive coordinator and stars coach	Fired [2]	Kentucky	Defensive Analyst/Outside Linebackers

Additions

Additions

Name	Position	Previous school	Previous position
Adam Braithwaite	Safeties	Samford	Defensive coordinator/safeties
Eddie Hicks	Cornerbacks	LSU	Analyst
Luke Paschall	Special teams	Middle Tennessee	Special teams

Recruiting

Main article: 2025 college football recruiting class

See also: American football positions, Glossary of American football, and College recruiting

College recruiting information (2025)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Zebulin Kinsey QB	Wellsville, Ohio	Toronto Junior/Senior High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Nov 18, 2023
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Zion Johnson RB	Covington, Georgia	Newton High School	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Feb 8, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Giyahni Kontosis WR	Upper Marlboro, Maryland	Riverdale Baptist School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jul 8, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Ka’Maurri Smith TE	Dayton, Ohio	Wayne High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Nov 19, 2023
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
DaMari Witherspoon TE	Dallas, Georgia	East Paulding High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Aug 27, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Jeremiah Kelly OL	Avon, Ohio	Avon High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	315 lb (143 kg)	Jun 21, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Marcus McGregor OL	West Des Moines, Iowa	Valley High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Dec 2, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Cray Paich OL	Northbrook, Illinois	Glenbrook North High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	May 18, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Zach Taylor OL	Kingsland, Georgia	Camden County High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Sep 23, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
James Early DL	Fort Wayne, Indiana	North Side High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Oct 6, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Tim Griffin DL	Covington, Georgia	Alcovy High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	Nov 23, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
CD McFee DL	Elkhart, Indiana	Elkhart Memorial High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	296 lb (134 kg)	Sep 7, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Kamron Neal DL	Smyrna, Georgia	Campbell High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Nov 11, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Myles Harrison LB	Pickerington, Ohio	Pickerington High School Central	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Dec 3, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Terrell Holcomb LB	Gahanna, Ohio	Gahanna-Lincoln High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jun 17, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Patrick Williams CB	Greenville, South Carolina	Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Dec 25, 2023
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Jamari Johnson S	Birmingham, Alabama	Pell City High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Dec 4, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
CJ Jones S	Bolingbrook, Illinois	Bolingbrook High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Apr 23, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
CJ Crite Star	Chesapeake, Virginia	Oscar F. Smith High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jun 8, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, 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: "2025 Cincinnati Football Commitment List". Rivals. "2025 Players Commitments – Cincinnati". ESPN. "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. "2025 Cincinnati Bearcats football team". 247Sports.

Transfers

Players leaving

^{[3] [4]}

Departing transfers

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	New school
Caleb Schmitz	TE	6'3"	240	Junior	Lancaster, PA	Illinois State
Kalen Carroll	CB	5' 11"	161	Sophomore	Brownsburg, IN	Central Michigan
D.J. Taylor	DB	5'10"	195	Senior	Tampa, FL
Aaron Turner	WR	5'8"	185	Senior	Washington, D.C.	Rice
Sterling Berkhalter	WR	6'3"	200	Junior	Cincinnati, OH	Wake Forest
Carter Brown	PK	6'0"	198	Junior	Pearland, TX	Utah State
Ben Mehan	P	6'0"	180	Freshman	Downingtown, PA	East Texas A&M
Garrison Butler	DL	6'1"	280	Freshman	Jacksonville, FL	Appalachian State
Jonathan Harder	OL	6'4"	330	Sophomore	Delaware, OH	Toledo
Michael Mussari	WR	6'1"	200	Freshman	Kings Mills, OH	Dayton
Kameron Wilson	DL	6'2"	250	Junior	Decatur, GA	Miami (Ohio)
Brady Drogosh	CB	6'4"	220	Freshman	Warren, MI	Grand Valley State
Quinton Price	CB	6'3"	180	Freshman	Cincinnati, OH	Thomas More
Jordan Young	CB	6'0"	197	Junior	Tampa, FL	Arkansas
Tyrin Smith	WR	5'7"	165	Senior	Cibolo, TX	Texas State
Ken Willis	S	5'11"	188	Sophomore	Cincinnati, OH
Jordan Robinson	CB	6'4"	210	Junior	Columbia, SC	Virginia
Tony Johnson	WR	5'11"	185	Senior	Ocala, FL	Miami (FL)

Incoming transfers

Cincinnati incoming transfers

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Prev. school
Taran Tyo	OL	6'4	326	Junior	Greenville, Ohio	Ball State
Matthew McDoom	CB	5'8	160	Junior	Winter Garden, Florida	Coastal Carolina
Jaylon White-McClain	DE	6'4	254	Junior	Virginia Beach, Virginia	Old Dominion
Caleb Goodie	WR	6'1	170	Junior	Breaux Bridge, Louisiana	Colorado State
Cyrus Allen	WR	6'0	170	Senior	New Orleans, Louisiana	Texas A&M
Nolan Latulippe	OL	6'7	281	Senior	Aylmer, Quebec	Albany
Jeff Caldwell	WR	6'5	200	Junior	Louisville, Kentucky	Lindenwood
Stephen Rusnak	PK	6'5	200	Senior	Clarkston, Michigan	Charlotte
Tayden Barnes	S	5'10	185	Sophomore	Amarillo, Texas	New Mexico State
CJ McRay	DL	6'4	241	Senior	Lumberton, North Carolina	Virginia Tech
Xavier Williams	S	6'2	215	Senior	McDonough, Georgia	Middle Tennessee
Tawee Walker	RB	5'9	218	Senior	North Las Vegas, Nevada	Wisconsin
Christian Harrison	DB	6'1	191	Junior	Atlanta, Georgia	Tennessee
Joe Cotton	OT	6'7	315	Junior	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	South Dakota
Darrell Gipson	DB	6'3	235	Sophomore	Lacey, Washington	Idaho State
Isaiah Rogers	DT	6'2	300	Senior	Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania	Monmouth
Elijah Gunn	DT	6'3	290	Sophomore	La Grange, Georgia	Tennessee

New uniforms

On July 2nd, the Bearcats announced a new football uniform set due to a renewed partnership with Nike. ^[5]

Return of red and black stands

On September 18th, the Bearcats announced plans to "stripe the stands" in red and black for their October 4th home game against Iowa State, coloring them in both colors for the first time since the 2016 season. ^[6]

2025 NFL draft

Main article: 2025 NFL draft

Round	Pick	NFL Team	Player	Position
7	250	Green Bay Packers	John Williams	OT

Undrafted free agents

The following Cincinnati Bearcats players were NFL undrafted free agent signees following the 2025 NFL Draft ^[7]

NFL Team	Player	Position
Carolina Panthers	Luke Kandra	OT
Cincinnati Bengals	Jamoi Mayes	WR
Cleveland Browns	Dartanyan Tinsely	OT
New England Patriots	Josh Minkins	S
New York Jets	Jared Bartlett	LB
San Francisco 49ers	Corey Kiner	RB

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 28	9:00 p.m.	vs. Nebraska *		Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City, MO	ESPN	L 17–20	72,884
September 6	3:30 p.m.	Bowling Green *		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN+	W 34–20	35,421
September 13	3:30 p.m.	Northwestern State *		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN+	W 70–0	30,014
September 27	12:00 p.m.	at Kansas		David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	TNT	W 37–34	41,525
October 4	12:00 p.m.	No. 14 Iowa State		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN2	W 38–30	38,007
October 11	12:00 p.m.	UCF		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH (rivalry)	FS1	W 20–11	35,782
October 18	8:00 p.m.	at Oklahoma State	No. 24	Boone Pickens Stadium Stillwater, OK	ESPN2	W 49–17	46,901
October 25	4:00 p.m.	Baylor	No. 21	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN2
November 1		at Utah		Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT
November 15		Arizona		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH
November 22		BYU		Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH
November 29		at TCU		Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll - Released prior to game All times are in Eastern time Source: [8] [9]

Game summaries

vs. Nebraska

See also: 2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Nebraska Cornhuskers (0–0) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cornhuskers	0	13	0	7	20
Bearcats	3	0	7	7	17

at Arrowhead Stadium • Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: August 28
• Game time: 9:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny, 78 degrees, Wind E @ 6 mph
• Game attendance: 72,884
• Referee: David Alvarez
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline)

Game information

First Quarter (4:47) CIN – Stephen Rusnak 45-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 4:13, Cincinnati 3-0) Second Quarter (14:56) NEB - Kyle Cunanan 52-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 4:51, 3-3) (5:36) NEB - Kyle Cunanan 22-yard field goal (Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 7:51, Nebraska 6-3) (0:11) NEB - Nyziah Hunter 5-yard pass from Dylan Raiola, Kyle Cunanan kick (Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:51, Nebraska 13-3) Third Quarter (6:53) CIN – Brendan Sorsby 7-yard run, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:32, Nebraska 13-10) Fourth Quarter (10:36) NEB – Dane Key 3-yard pass from Dylan Raiola, Kyle Cunanan kick (Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:02, Nebraska 20-10) (7:15) CIN – Brendan Sorsby 1-yard run, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:21, Nebraska 20-17)

Statistics	NEB	CIN
First downs	23	16
Plays–yards	78–353	55–271
Rushes–yards	36–110	30–202
Passing yards	243	69
Passing: comp–att–int	33–42–0	13–25–1
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	39:30	20:30

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nebraska	Passing	Dylan Raiola	33/42, 243 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Emmett Johnson	25 carries, 108 yards
	Receiving	Nyziah Hunter	6 receptions, 65 yards, TD
Cincinnati	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	13/25, 69 yards, INT
	Rushing	Brendan Sorsby	13 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Cyrus Allen	5 receptions, 41 yards

vs Bowling Green

See also: 2025 Bowling Green Falcons football team

Bowling Green Falcons (1–0) at Cincinnati Bearcats (0–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	3	7	10	20
Bearcats	7	14	10	3	34

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: September 6
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game attendance: 35,421
• Referee: Kevin Mar
• TV announcers (ESPN+): James Westling (play-by-play), Leger Douzable (analyst), and Shane Sparks (sideline)

Game information

First quarter CIN – Cyrus Allen 44-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 7:23. Bearcats 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:00. Second quarter CIN – Cyrus Allen 2-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 13:17. Bearcats 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:55. CIN – Jeff Caldwell 9-yard from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 6:11. Bearcats 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 3:08. BGSU – Jackson Kleather 25-yard field goal, 0:23. Bearcats 21–3. Drive: 18 plays, 68 yards, 5:48. Third quarter CIN – Stephen Rusnak 40-yard field goal, 12:58. Bearcats 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 1:58. BGSU – Jyrin Johnson 31-yard pass from Drew Pyne (Jackson Kleather kick), 4:03. Bearcats 24–10. Drive: 2 plays, 34 yards, 0:47. CIN – Brendan Sorsby 9-yard run (Stephen Rusnak kick), 0:24. Bearcats 31–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:39. Fourth quarter BGSU – Mar'Kel Porter 1-yard run (Jackson Kleather kick), 10:35. Bearcats 31–17. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:49. CIN – Stephen Rusnak 23-yard field goal, 6:12. Bearcats 34–17. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:23. BGSU – Jackson Kleather 30-yard field goal, 1:55. Bearcats 34–20. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:17.

Statistics	BGSU	CIN
First downs	21	18
Total yards	372	439
Rushes–yards	34–98	29–106
Passing yards	274	333
Passing: comp–att–int	29–37–0	17–24–0
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	37:11	22:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Bowling Green	Passing	Drew Pyne	29–36, 274 yards, TD
	Rushing	Cameron Pettaway	13 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	Jyrin Johnson	7 receptions, 80 yards, TD
Cincinnati	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	17–24, 333 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Brendan Sorsby	7 carries, 40 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jeff Caldwell	5 receptions, 109 yards, TD

vs Northwestern State (FCS)

See also: 2025 Northwestern State Demons football team

Northwestern State Demons (FCS) (1–1) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (1–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons (FCS)	0	0	0	0	0
Bearcats	35	21	7	7	70

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: W 7 mph
• Game attendance: 30,014
• Referee: Henry Johns
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Jeff Woody (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (13:24) CIN – Joe Royer 21-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:36; Cincinnati 7–0) (11:18) CIN – Caleb Goodie 55-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 1 play, 55 yards, 0:09; Cincinnati 14–0) (7:07) CIN – Tawee Walker 10-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 1:43; Cincinnati 21–0) (4:11) CIN – Joe Royer 2-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:14; Cincinnati 28–0) (2:46) CIN – Isaiah Johnson 8-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 2 plays, 30 yards, 0:30; Cincinnati 35–0) Second quarter (9:40) CIN – Brendan Sorsby 23-yard run, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:41; Cincinnati 42–0) (5:38) CIN – Tawee Walker 15-yard run, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:26; Cincinnati 49–0) (0:16) CIN – Cyrus Allen 29-yard pass from Brady Lichtenberg, Stephen Rusnak kick (Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 0:43; Cincinnati 56–0) Third quarter (4:14) CIN – Chance Williams 3-yard run, Dino Beslagic kick (Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:32; Cincinnati 63–0) Fourth quarter (5:00) CIN – Isaiah Johnson 42-yard pass from Samaj Jones, Dino Beslagic kick (Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:45; Cincinnati 70–0)

Statistics	NWST	CIN
First downs	6	27
Plays–yards	51–102	49–605
Rushes–yards	35–68	26–243
Passing yards	34	362
Passing: comp–att–int	10–16–0	21–23–0
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	39:15	20:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwestern State	Passing	Abram Johnston	7/11, 32 yards
	Rushing	Kolbe Burrell	12 carries, 31 yards
	Receiving	Luke Carter	1 reception, 11 yards
Cincinnati	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	15/15, 253 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Tawee Walker	6 carries, 66 yards, TD
	Receiving	Caleb Goodie	3 receptions, 106 yards, TD

at Kansas

See also: 2025 Kansas Jayhawks football team

Cincinnati Bearcats (2–1) at Kansas Jayhawks (3–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	7	13	10	7	37
Jayhawks	7	6	14	7	34

at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: SW 7 mph
• Game attendance: 41,525
• Referee: Tutashinda Salaam
• TV announcers (TNT): J.B. Long (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst), and Lauren Jbara (sideline)

Game information

First quarter KU – Emmanuel Henderson Jr. 93-yard pass from Jalon Daniels (Laith Marjan kick), 11:42. Jayhawks 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 93 yards, 0:11. CIN – Tawee Walker 2-yard run (Stephen Rusnak kick), 6:10. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:32. Second quarter CIN – Stephen Rusnak 29-yard field goal, 14:23. Bearcats 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:25. KU – Laith Marjan 27-yard field goal, 10:00. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:23. CIN – Cyrus Allen 10-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 7:09. Bearcats 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:51. KU – Laith Marjan 35-yard field goal, 3:15. Bearcats 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:54. CIN – Stephen Rusnak 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Bearcats 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 0:47. Third quarter KU – Boden Groen 24-yard pass from Jalon Daniels (Laith Marjan kick), 11:38. Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:22. CIN – Cyrus Allen 14-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 8:54. Bearcats 27–20. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:38. KU – Emmanuel Henderson Jr. 75-yard pass from Jalon Daniels (Laith Marjan kick), 8:44. Tied 27–27. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:10. CIN – Stephen Rusnak 24-yard field goal, 1:24. Bearcats 30–27. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 7:20. Fourth quarter KU – Levi Wentz 6-yard pass from Jalon Daniels (Laith Marjan kick), 1:45. Jayhawks 34–30. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 6:17. CIN – Tawee Walker 2-yard run (Stephen Rusnak kick), 0:29. Bearcats 37–34. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 1:16.

Statistics	CIN	KU
First downs	29	26
Plays–yards	81–603	55–597
Rushes–yards	37–215	27–152
Passing yards	388	455
Passing: comp–att–int	29–44–0	19–28–0
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	34:36	25:24

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Cincinnati	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	29/43, 388 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Evan Pryor	6 carries, 90 yards
	Receiving	Cyrus Allen	11 receptions, 128 yards, 2 TD
Kansas	Passing	Jalon Daniels	19/28, 445 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Leshon Williams	10 carries, 64 yards
	Receiving	Emmanuel Henderson Jr.	5 receptions, 214 yards, 2 TD

vs No. 14 Iowa State

See also: 2025 Iowa State Cyclones football team

No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones (5–0) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (3–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Cyclones	0	15	7	8	30
Bearcats	17	14	0	7	38

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 38,007
• Referee: Kevin Boitmann
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst), and Taylor Davis (sideline)

Game information

First quarter CIN – Evan Pryor 30-yard run (Stephen Rusnak kick), 12:25. Bearcats 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:28. CIN – Stephen Rusnak 38-yard field goal, 7:54. Bearcats 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 2:05. CIN – Joe Royer 12-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 0:23. Bearcats 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:38. Second quarter ISU – Rocco Becht 14-yard run (Chase Smith kick), 14:55. Bearcats 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:28. CIN – Evan Pryor 18-yard run (Stephen Rusnak kick), 13:40. Bearcats 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:06. CIN – Brendan Sorsby 20-yard run (Stephen Rusnak kick), 1:08. Bearcats 31–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:20. ISU – Rocco Becht 4-yard run (Major Cantrell pass to Benjamin Brahmer), 0:00. Bearcats 31–15. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:08. Third quarter ISU – Brett Eskildsen 11-yard pass from Rocco Becht (Chase Smith kick), 8:06. Bearcats 31–22. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:54. Fourth quarter CIN – Caleb Goodie 82-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 5:57. Bearcats 38–22. Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, 1:43. ISU – Chase Sowell 3-yard pass from Rocco Becht (Rocco Becht pass to Benjamin Brahmer), 1:56. Bearcats 38–30. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:01.

Statistics	ISU	CIN
First downs	29	20
Plays–yards	85–470	59–474
Rushes–yards	37–156	34–260
Passing yards	314	214
Passing: comp–att–int	30–48–0	13–25–0
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	34:56	25:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa State	Passing	Rocco Becht	30/48, 314 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Abu Sama	18 rushes, 96 yards
	Receiving	Brett Eskildsen	8 receptions, 105 yards, TD
Cincinnati	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	13/25, 214 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Evan Pryor	10 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Caleb Goodie	2 receptions, 83 yards, TD

vs UCF (rivalry)

See also: 2025 UCF Knights football team and Cincinnati–UCF football rivalry

UCF Knights (3–2) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (4–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	0	3	0	8	11
Bearcats	7	10	0	3	20

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 35,782
• Referee: Mike McCabe
• TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst)

Game information

First quarter CIN – Jeff Caldwell 40-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 8:23. Bearcats 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 1:26. Second quarter CIN – Jeff Caldwell 9-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Stephen Rusnak kick), 12:12. Bearcats 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 3:47. CIN – Stephen Rusnak 32-yard field goal, 4:13. Bearcats 17–0. Drive: 13 plays, 39 yards, 5:18. UCF – Noe Ruelas 45-yard field goal, 0:24. Bearcats 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 49 yards, 3:49. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter CIN – Stephen Rusnak 24-yard field goal, 13:39. Bearcats 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:16. UCF – Cam Francher 3-yard run (Cam Francher pass to Chris Domercant), 2:07. Bearcats 20–11. Drive: 19 plays, 90 yards, 7:00.

Statistics	UCF	CIN
First downs	26	14
Plays–yards	90–413	48–306
Rushes–yards	41–191	27–115
Passing yards	222	191
Passing: comp–att–int	28–49–0	12–21–0
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	39:44	20:16

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCF	Passing	Cam Fancher	28/49, 222 yards
	Rushing	Cam Fancher	20 rushes, 108 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dylan Wade	5 receptions, 55 yards
Cincinnati	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	12/21, 191 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Evan Pryor	11 rushes, 48 yards
	Receiving	Joe Royer	2 receptions, 83 yards

at Oklahoma State

See also: 2025 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team

No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats (5–1) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (1–5) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 24 Bearcats	7	21	0	20	48
Cowboys	3	7	7	0	17

at Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, Oklahoma

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 8:00 p.m.
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), and Dawn Davenport (sideline)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	CIN	OKST
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Cincinnati	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Oklahoma State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Baylor

See also: 2025 Baylor Bears football team

Baylor Bears (4–3) vs No. 21 Cincinnati Bearcats (6–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	0	0	0
No. 21 Bearcats	0	0	0	0	0

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 4:00 p.m.
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), and Dawn Davenport (sideline)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	BAY	CIN
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Baylor	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Cincinnati	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Utah

See also: 2025 Utah Utes football team

Cincinnati Bearcats (0–0) at Utah Utes (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	0	0	0	0	0
Utes	0	0	0	0	0

at Rice–Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah

• Date: November 1
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	CIN	UTAH
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Cincinnati	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Utah	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Arizona

See also: 2025 Arizona Wildcats football team

Arizona Wildcats (0–0) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0
Bearcats	0	0	0	0	0

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: November 15
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	ARIZ	CIN
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arizona	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Cincinnati	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs BYU

See also: 2025 BYU Cougars football team

BYU Cougars (0–0) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	0	0	0	0	0
Bearcats	0	0	0	0	0

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: November 22
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	BYU	CIN
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
BYU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Cincinnati	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at TCU

See also: 2025 TCU Horned Frogs football team

Cincinnati Bearcats (0–0) at TCU Horned Frogs (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bearcats	0	0	0	0	0
Horned Frogs	0	0	0	0	0

at Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas

• Date: November 29
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	CIN	TCU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Cincinnati	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
TCU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Personnel

Roster and staff

2025 Cincinnati Bearcats football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 2 Brendan Sorsby  Jr RB 3 Tawee Walker  Sr WR 4 Cyrus Alleb  Sr QB 5 Samaj Jones  Fr RB 6 Evan Pryor  Sr RB 7 Chance Williams  Jr WR 8 Noah Jennings Jr WR 9 Jeff Caldwell Sr WR 10 Caleb Goodie Jr TE 11 Joe Royer  Sr QB 12 Zebulin Kinsey Fr RB 13 Zion Johnson Fr WR 14 Barry Jackson  So QB 15 Will Kocher  So QB 16 Brady Lichtenberg  Sr WR 17 Giyahni Kontosis Fr WR 18 Kale Woodburn  Fr WR 19 Dakari Anderson  Fr RB 20 Jakorion Coffey  Fr TE 21 Patrick Gurd  Sr WR 22 Zane Kinsey  Fr RB 29 Manny Covey  So OL 50 Evan Tengesdahl  So OL 53 Gavin Gerhardt  Sr OL 56 Deondre Buford  Sr OL 59 Jake Wheelock  Fr TE 63 Kellen Davis Fr OL 63 Zac Clarke  Fr OL 66 Xavier Lozowicki So OL 69 JP Schrieber  Fr OT 70 Cray Paich Fr OL 71 Judea Milon  Sr OL 72 Nathan Latulippe Jr OL 73 Aiden Pastoriza  Fr OL 74 Joe Cotton  Jr OL 75 Marcus McGregor Fr OL 76 Taran Tao  Jr OL 77 Jonathan Harder  Jr OL 78 Grant Edgington  So OL 79 Ethan Green  Jr WR 80 Elijah Jones  Fr TE 82 Ka'Maurri Smith Fr TE 83 Devyn Zahursky  Fr TE 85 Lyviel Waters  Fr TE 87 Gavin Grover So WR 88 Nash Biglin  Fr TE 88 DaMari Witherspoon Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 0 Matthew McDoom Sr DT 2 Dontay Corleone  Sr S 3 Kye Stokes  Jr DE 4 Mikah Coleman  Sr DB 5 Christian Harrison  Jr S 6 Trevon Gola-Callard Sr CB 8 Ormanie Arnold  Jr STAR 9 Jiquan Sanks So DB 10 Tayden Burnes  So LB 11 Jake Golday  Sr S 13 Patrick Williams Fr CB 14 Zay Johnson  Fr DE 16 Jaylon White-McClain  Jr LB 17 Brian Simms III  So STAR 18 Marqavious Saboor So S 19 CJ Jones Fr STAR 20 CJ Crite Fr DL 21 CJ McCray  Sr LB 22 Jonathan Thompson  Jr CB 23 Willie Goodwyn  Fr LB 24 Terrell Holcomb Fr CB 25 Daniel James  Fr DL 26 Cam Roetherford   Jr CB 29 Stanley Clyne  So LB 31 Simeon Coleman So LB 33 Darrel Gipson So LB 34 Myles Harrison Fr S 35 Drew Robinson  Fr DB 36 Xavier Williams  Sr LB 39 Cincear Lewis  Jr DE 40 Kamari Burns  So LB 41 Quinn Staten  So LB 44 Montay Weedon So STAR 46 Antwan Peek Jr.  Jr LB 49 Jack Dingle  Sr DL 55 Isaiah Rogers  Sr DL 56 Tim Griffin Fr DT 57 Ben Blevins  Sr DL 82 James Early Fr DL 88 CD McFee Fr DT 90 Jalen Hunt  Sr DE 91 Drew Logan  Jr DL 92 Elijah Gunn  So DL 93 Harris Adams  Sr DT 94 Kelian Smith  So DL 95 Lendric Barber  Fr DE 96 Nathan Nunn  Fr DL 97 Kameron Neal Fr DL 98 Marquaze Parker So DE 99 Rob Jackson  Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 30 Max Fletcher  Jr LS 47 George Leibold  Fr LS 48 Weston Simmons  So K 93 Max LeMasters  So K 99 Stephen Rusnak  Sr	Head coach Scott Satterfield (Appalachian State) – 3rd year Coordinators/assistant coaches Tyson Veidt (Muskingum) 2nd year – (defensive coordinator/safeties) Brad Glenn (Clemson) 3nd year – (offensive coordinator/wide receivers) Cortney Braswell (Liberty) 3rd year – (co-defensive coordinator / linebackers) Adam Braithwhite (William & Mary) 1st year – (safties) Nic Cardwell (Appalachian State) 3nd year – (offensive line) Sean Dawkins (Troy) 2nd year – (offensive line) Eddie Hicks (Southern Miss) 1st year – (cornerbacks) Josh Stepp (Newberry) 3rd year – (tight ends) Walter Stewart (Cincinnati) 4th year – (defensive line) Pete Thomas (NC State) 3rd year – (quarterbacks) Luke Paschall (Middle Tennessee) 1st year – (special teams) Vijay Stingley (Sam Houston State) 3rd year – (quarterbacks) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

Rankings

Further information: 2025 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	15	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV	24	21
Coaches	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV	24	21
CFP	Not released																Not released

Awards and honors

Big 12 Weekly Honors

Date	Player	Class	Pos.	Award	Ref.

All-Big 12

All-Big 12

Player	Pos.	1st/2nd team
HM = Honorable mention

References

1. John Brice [@JohnDBrice1] (December 10, 2024). "Multiple sources tell @FootballScoop that Scott Satterfield is making changes to his Cincinnati Bearcats staff" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
2. Easterday, Taylor (December 13, 2024). "Cincinnati fires STARS coach Nate Fuqua". Newsrecord.org. The News Record. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
3. "2025 College Football Transfer Portal". 247sports. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
4. "2025 College Football Transfer Portal". On3. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
5. "Cincinnati Bearcats unveil new uniforms ahead of 2025 season". WLWT. July 2, 2025.
6. "Cincinnati Bearcats announce plans to 'stripe the stands' for October game". WLWT. September 18, 2025.
7. Jeff Kerr; Garrett Podell (April 28, 2025). "2025 NFL undrafted free agent tracker: Full team-by-team list of player signings following NFL Draft". CBSSports.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
8. "2025 Cincinnati Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
9. "2025 Football Schedule". Cincinnati Bearcats . Retrieved February 4, 2025.