TicketsCINCINNATI – The Cincinnati football program has announced 21 transfer newcomers to its 2026 roster.
With still more expected to come, the current tally includes six defensive backs, five wide receivers, three running backs, three defensive linemen, three linebackers and a quarterback.
That list also welcomes back Queen City native Gi’Bran Payne, a former running back standout at La Salle High School who played the last four years at Notre Dame. The Bearcats have enjoyed much success with hometown products from the high school or transfer ranks, including Dontay Corleone, Antwan Peek Jr. and Joe Royer within the last year.
Three of Northern Illinois’ top-five tacklers from last year will also join the UC defensive unit.
Patrick Bauer (LB, Illinois State)
Bauer was a key figure in Illinois State’s magical run to the FCS national championship game. He was third on the team with 8.5 TFLs, in addition to breaking up five passes. He had a season-high seven tackles in the opener at Oklahoma (Sooners had just 21 points entering the fourth) and registered PBUs in both the semifinal and title game.
Bauer redshirted for the Redbirds in 2023 before making the rotation in 2024.
Jasper Beeler (S, Northern Illinois)
Beeler spent the 2025 season at Northern Illinois after playing two seasons at Saginaw Valley State. At NIU this past season, he ranked third on the team with 77 tackles while logging three interceptions and starting all 12 games. In a game against Western Michigan he collected 13 tackles and an interception, the first NIU player with 10 or more tackles and a pick in a game since 2022. In 2023-24 at Saginaw Valley State, Beeler played in 22 games and totaled 78 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. He logged 15 pass breakups in 2024, ranking eighth nationally in passes defended that season.
MJ Cannon (CB, Bowling Green)
Cannon started all 12 games for Bowling Green in 2025 en route to Third Team All-MAC honors. He totaled 57 tackles, seven TFLs, two sacks, three PBUs, two interceptions and a fumble recovery, including two TFLs against Cincinnati's excellent offensive line. He previously was a two-year standout for Illinois State, culminating in All-MVC recognition in 2024. Bowling Green was a respectable No. 41 nationally in pass defense.
Larenzo Fenner (WR, South Dakota)
A former two-year teammate of Cincinnati left tackle standout Joe Cotton, Fenner comes to Clifton as one of the FCS' most prolific wide receivers. His 15 touchdowns are the most in South Dakota program history, and his 1,001 yards rank third. He also had three touchdown catches in consecutive November games, both tying that record.
The 15 scores and 22.75 yards per catch both ranked second nationally in FCS. He previously played 13 games with no catches in 2024 after redshirting in 2023.
Jacob Finley (CB, Northern Illinois)
A four-year member of the Huskies’ program, Finley started 24 games over the past three seasons, including all 11 games in which he played last year. He led the Huskies with eight pass breakups, four of which came in the final two games. He boasted a career-high 14 tackles at UMass.
He also scored a touchdown on the final play of the 2023 regular season, recovering his own forced fumble in the endzone at Kent State.
JC French (QB, Georgia Southern)
A two-year starter and Georgia Southern’s all-time leading passer, French joins freshman Brooks Goodman as Blessed Trinity Catholic HS alumni on the roster. He completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,929 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions last year. The Eagles made bowl games each of the past two years, including an 8-4 regular-season record in 2024.
French also follows the mold of the Bearcats' penchant for dual-threat QBs, rushing for 564 yards over the last two years. He was a backup at Georgia Southern in 2023 and redshirted at Memphis in 2022.
JV Gibson (WR, Oklahoma)
Gibson enjoyed a solid 2025 season for Oklahoma in its run to the CFP, recording 18 catches for 199 yards and a TD. Five of those went for 107 in the final two games. He came to Norman by way of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, where he was a Second-Team FCS All-American (70 catches, 1,215 yards, nine touchdowns), where that yardage was fourth in the nation in only 11 games.
He began his career at Arkansas-Monticello, redshirting in 2022 before playing 11 games with 403 yards in 2023.
Ty Goodwill (S, South Alabama)
Goodwill spent two seasons at South Alabama, appearing in 19 games. He collected 32 tackles this past season while adding four tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, and an interception. In 2024, Goodwill played in nine games and had nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Malachi Henry (WR, Central Arkansas)
A one-year teammate of eventual Cincinnati linebacker star Jake Golday, Henry will look to have a similar path with the Bearcats following his 69-catch, 889-yard, 10-touchdown campaign last fall. He had four games of 100 yards or more, ending with a career-high 142 and two scores against Abilene Christian.
The 2025 First-Team All-UAC selection led the league in a handful of categories. He redshirted as a freshman in 2023 before breaking out in 2024 with 41 catches for 683 yards and five scores.
Josh Hough (DL, California (Pa.))
Hough played three seasons at California (Pa.), logging 85 tackles while adding 13.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and three pass breakups. He helped his team earn a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs, where California won its first game vs. No. 3 seed Virginia Union. Hough had four tackles and 1.5 TFL in that game. He began his career at Syracuse as a running back.
Thomas Johnson (DL, North Carolina Central)
A first team All-MEAC honoree and honorable mention BOXTOROW HBCU All-American this past season, Johnson played in 37 games at N.C. Central. In his career to date, he has 93 tackles and 29.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. His 19.5 sacks are ninth-most among active FCS players. This past year, his 12 sacks ranked seventh in the nation at the FCS level.
Filip Maciorowski (LB, Northern Illinois)
Maciorowski saw the fruits of his labor this season after redshirting in 2023 and seeing mostly special teams action in 2024. He was second on the Huskies with 87 tackles and 6.5 for loss, while leading with 2.5 sacks. He lept in to the fire with nine tackles at Mississippi State before a career-high 13 against San Diego State, which included a 10-yard sack. He later had back-to-back 11-tackle outings against Toledo and UMass.
He is also a former seven-time state rugby champion in high school.
KK Meier (CB, UTSA)
Meier appeared in 10 games for UTSA this season, tallying 25 tackles and five pass breakups. Prior to his time at USTA, Meier played three seasons at Nevada where he played in 25 games and made 12 starts. He logged 54 tackles, nine pass breakups, and one interception while a member of the Wolfpack.
Chidera Otutu (DL, UTSA)
The now-junior earned immediate playing time at UTSA in 2024, playing all 13 games and forcing a fumble at East Carolina. This year, he asserted himself at nose tackle by starting the final 10 games, logging 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He was also an excellent thrower on the track team in high school.
Gi'Bran Payne (RB, Notre Dame)
The Cincinnati native returns home following four years at Notre Dame. He earned a redshirt in 2022, played in all 13 games with 45 rush attempts, nine catches and four total touchdowns in 2023, then missed all of 2024 due to injury before playing all 12 games in 2025.
This fall, he played a crucial role on the kick return unit and had nine carries for 56 yards, with a long of 24 at Arkansas. The former four-star recruit starred at La Salle High School on the West Side, where the Lancers won the state title in 2019 his sophomore year. He is the first Bearcat from there since tight end standout and current Green Bay Packer Josh Whyle.
Zylan Perry (RB, Louisiana Lafayette)
A 2025 All-Sun Belt honorable mention pick, Perry rushed for 689 yards and eight touchdowns this year, averaging an even 5.0 yards per carry. His best game of the year came at Eastern Michigan on Sept. 20 when he rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, his third career 100-yard rushing performance, and he had an 84-yard touchdown run at Mizzou.
Perry had two 100-yard games in 2024, including a career-high 150 rushing yards vs. ULM. He led the team in all-purpose yards that season as well with 1,164. In 2023 as a redshirt freshman, Perry led all FBS players in kick return yards (862) and logged 1,100 all-purpose yards.
Flynn Schiele (WR, Colorado School of Mines)
While a season-ending injury in the 2025 opener halted that season, Schiele was a Second-Team All-American in 2024 with 66 catches for 1,195 yards and 12 touchdowns. He boasted Division II’s top WR performance of the season with 13 receptions for 297 yards and three scores. He also had 67 grabs for 1,013 yards and 10 scores in 2023.
He comes to UC for his final year of eligibility after earning his bachelor’s degree in metallurgical and materials engineering in December.
Cole Tabb (RB, Stanford)
Tabb was a proven star for Stanford. He earned Outstanding Freshman Award honors from the Cardinal this season, rushing 114 times for 445 yards and three touchdowns, second on the team in each. The last Stanford freshman running back to surpass 400 yards came in 2010.
Tabb earned two starts late in his freshman season (2024) while preserving his redshirt. He attended the same high school, Choctawhatchee, as UC wide receiver Isaiah Johnson. His uncle, Desi Relaford, played 11 seasons in the MLB, including five years with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Damaine Wilson (LB Georgia State)
Wilson played in three games for Georgia State this year, but was an honorable mention All-Sun Belt honoree in 2024 as a true freshman. He played in 11 games that year, recording 39 tackles, one TFL, and one interception. In three games in 2025 Wilson collected six tackles and three pass breakups.
Cade Wolford (WR, Kent State)
Wolford exploded for the Golden Flashes in 2025, earning Third-Team All-MAC honors as a redshirt-freshman with 19 catches for 509 yards (26.8 ypc) and seven touchdowns. He also jumped into the backfield and had 12 rushes for 96 yards and a score, which was a 31-yarder at Northern Illinois.
The first two weeks saw him haul in a career-long 79-yarder as part of a two-touchdown game before scoring another from 16 yards out at Big 12 champion Texas Tech. Wolford also had a 75-yard score on the first play from scrimmage against Toledo.
Kenny Worthy (CB, Washington State)
Worthy appeared in all 12 games as a redshirt-freshman for the Cougars, making 23 tackles and forcing a fumble with a pass breakup. His career-high six stops came in a near-upset of Ole Miss, one of three ranked road defeats by four or fewer points. Worthy also earned Defensive Back of the Year honors from his native Arizona in high school.