TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati football team held its first practice of fall camp on Monday afternoon at Higher Ground Retreat Center.
Higher Ground Training Camp is presented by TQL. The Bearcats’ return to Higher Ground continues a tradition that now spans 27 fall camps.
Cincinnati’s practice consisted of 17 lively periods and featured several standout plays, especially on the defensive end. Sophomore Marqavious Saboor had an outstanding pass breakup and senior Matthew McDoom whipped the defense into a frenzy with an interception near the end of practice.
The first practice of fall camp was a hot one, but head coach Scott Satterfield knows that working through the heat early in camp can pay dividends at the start of the regular season when conditions can be just as hot and humid.
“It’s been a hot summer and we’ve been training hard all summer long,” Satterfield said. “We love our beautiful new indoor facility, but we have still been practicing outside quite a bit and utilizing Nippert. We did it all last week and it was hot last week as well. I told the team we don’t know what it will be like for our first game, it could be very hot and humid at Arrowhead even though we’re playing at night. It’s football in July, so we have to take advantage of it.”
Now entering his third year at the helm of Cincinnati Football, Satterfield will have a strong mix of experienced returning players and talented newcomers at his disposal as the Bearcats look to make some noise in the Big 12.
“We’ve had a great offseason,” Satterfield said at Big 12 Media Days earlier this month. “I’m excited about our football team this year. We brought back a lot of great players this year. It starts with that, but we were also able to add some great players in the transfer portal this offseason. I think we added a lot of speed, especially in the wide receiver room, making us a much more explosive football team. The Big 12 Conference is outstanding from top to bottom. Any team is capable of winning the Big 12, including the Cincinnati Bearcats.”
Thirty-nine new scholarship players, including 21 transfers, highlight the newest crop of Bearcats. The transfer portal class features running back Tawee Walker (10 TDs at Wisconsin in 2024), All-MAC offensive lineman Taran Tyo (Ball State), All-Sun Belt cornerback Matthew McDoom (Coastal Carolina) and FCS All-Americans 6-5 wide receiver Jeff Caldwell (1,032 yards, 11 TDs at Lindenwood in 2024) and 6-7 offensive lineman Joe Cotton (South Dakota) – among several potential starters and stars.
First Team All-Big 12 honorees and Cincinnati natives Dontay Corleone and Joe Royer as well as starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby, two-time team captain Gavin Gerhardt, freshman All-American Simeon Coleman, and All-Big 12 linebacker Jake Golday headline Cincinnati’s returners for 2025.