TicketsCINCINNATI – As 2023 comes to a close, the University of Cincinnati football team is looking ahead to 2024 and poised to come back even stronger.
A house is only as strong as the foundation you build it on. This offseason is about building the foundation for the future of Bearcats football, and it began by bringing back key players:
Cincinnati's first year in the Big 12 and its first season in the Satterfield era did not go the way as many had hoped. However, Cincinnati did put up some outstanding offensive numbers. The Bearcats finished fifth in the nation in rushing (217.1 ypg), and running back Corey Kiner tallied the 20th 1,000-yard rushing season in Bearcats' history, but the numbers didn't translate to the win column.
"We're excited about where we're headed," Satterfield said. "Obviously we are disappointed in our record last year. We outgained six opponents by more than 100 yards, so it tells us we're not that far off…I think that ultimately, a lot of the games are decided in the fourth quarter and it's the team that's the most disciplined and the team that does things right, off the field and on the field, that gets the victory."
The bitter tastes of last season may linger for a while, but the arrow is pointed in the right direction with the return of the team's core leadership.
"These guys have had great success throughout their careers individually but also as team players," Satterfield said. "To go through what we went through last year and for these guys to continue to lead and to continue to try to be a positive example. It's huge."
The next step in creating the foundation of the future is approaching fast, as Signing Day, on Dec. 20, looms even closer. Satterfield and the rest of the staff are anticipating more than 20 high school recruits to ink their names as Bearcats, in addition to several transfer portal additions.
"We're excited about those guys," Satterfield said. "We are also right in the beginning of portal season and we're looking to add some players in that regard. Certainly, our core leaders will be involved in that process because it is their team."
Kandra, who followed Satterfield from Louisville to Cincinnati last season, reiterated Satterfield's main recruiting goal when he said they are looking to bring in 'great people.'
"He wants to bring in good people first, and then good players," Kandra said. "It shows from previous teammates at Louisville, and even now the other guys coming in, they're just good people and good guys to be around. I think that's the biggest part of building a successful team."
For many players, returning for next season not only gives them a chance to remove the sour taste from this past year but also gives them a chance to redefine their legacy as Bearcats. That begins by getting the next generation to buy in.
Corleone announced last Tuesday that he will bypass the NFL Draft and return to Cincinnati for his redshirt junior season.
"It's about legacy. I want to finish on top, finish on a high note," Corleone said.
The Cincinnati native wants to leave a legacy that contains more than just his on-field accomplishments, he wants to build the foundation.
"I just want to help coach Satterfield," Corleone said. "I can go to talk to him about anything and I want to build a foundation. December 20 is when all the freshmen come in, so my job this year and all the other people on the team's job is to build that foundation; we have to be collective, including the fans. It's all one. We've all got one goal, and that's a championship, so we've got to build it brick by brick. So that's something I'm very excited about."
A house is only as strong as the foundation you build it on. This offseason is about building the foundation for the future of Bearcats football, and it began by bringing back key players:
- Defensive tackle Dontay Corleone, a 2022 All-American and 2023 All-Big 12 Second Team selection
- Punter Mason Fletcher, a 2022 Ray Guy Award Finalist who battled injuries this past fall
- Running back Corey Kiner, who rushed for 1,047 yards in 2023 – the 16th-most by a Bearcat in a single season
- Right guard Luke Kandra, Cincinnati's highest-graded offensive linemen and an All-Big 12 Second Team selection
- Center Gavin, a team captain and 2023 All-Big 12 honorable mention pick
Cincinnati's first year in the Big 12 and its first season in the Satterfield era did not go the way as many had hoped. However, Cincinnati did put up some outstanding offensive numbers. The Bearcats finished fifth in the nation in rushing (217.1 ypg), and running back Corey Kiner tallied the 20th 1,000-yard rushing season in Bearcats' history, but the numbers didn't translate to the win column.
"We're excited about where we're headed," Satterfield said. "Obviously we are disappointed in our record last year. We outgained six opponents by more than 100 yards, so it tells us we're not that far off…I think that ultimately, a lot of the games are decided in the fourth quarter and it's the team that's the most disciplined and the team that does things right, off the field and on the field, that gets the victory."
The bitter tastes of last season may linger for a while, but the arrow is pointed in the right direction with the return of the team's core leadership.
"These guys have had great success throughout their careers individually but also as team players," Satterfield said. "To go through what we went through last year and for these guys to continue to lead and to continue to try to be a positive example. It's huge."
The next step in creating the foundation of the future is approaching fast, as Signing Day, on Dec. 20, looms even closer. Satterfield and the rest of the staff are anticipating more than 20 high school recruits to ink their names as Bearcats, in addition to several transfer portal additions.
"We're excited about those guys," Satterfield said. "We are also right in the beginning of portal season and we're looking to add some players in that regard. Certainly, our core leaders will be involved in that process because it is their team."
Kandra, who followed Satterfield from Louisville to Cincinnati last season, reiterated Satterfield's main recruiting goal when he said they are looking to bring in 'great people.'
"He wants to bring in good people first, and then good players," Kandra said. "It shows from previous teammates at Louisville, and even now the other guys coming in, they're just good people and good guys to be around. I think that's the biggest part of building a successful team."
For many players, returning for next season not only gives them a chance to remove the sour taste from this past year but also gives them a chance to redefine their legacy as Bearcats. That begins by getting the next generation to buy in.
Corleone announced last Tuesday that he will bypass the NFL Draft and return to Cincinnati for his redshirt junior season.
"It's about legacy. I want to finish on top, finish on a high note," Corleone said.
The Cincinnati native wants to leave a legacy that contains more than just his on-field accomplishments, he wants to build the foundation.
"I just want to help coach Satterfield," Corleone said. "I can go to talk to him about anything and I want to build a foundation. December 20 is when all the freshmen come in, so my job this year and all the other people on the team's job is to build that foundation; we have to be collective, including the fans. It's all one. We've all got one goal, and that's a championship, so we've got to build it brick by brick. So that's something I'm very excited about."