TicketsCINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati football team kept the momentum rolling as preseason camp continued at the Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility for the third consecutive practice as Cincinnati was hit hard with a series of storms all week. Friday’s session was a lighter 90-minute practice as the team ramps up for its first scrimmage set for Saturday morning.
One of the developing storylines this offseason has been the dramatic change in defensive philosophy and personnel under new defensive coordinator Nate Woody.
This offseason, head coach Scott Satterfield handed the keys of the defense to the veteran coordinator. Woody, who previously engineered high-powered defenses alongside Satterfield at Appalachian State, arrives in Clifton following a decorated six-year tenure at Army. Under his guidance, the Black Knights led the American Athletic Conference in total defense each of the last two seasons and finished in the top 15 nationally three times, including leading the country in total defense in 2020.
Woody’s arrival signals a schematic overhaul for the Bearcats, transitioning away from the 3-3-5 look to an aggressive, blitzing 3-4 defense designed to create havoc, get into the backfield, and force turnovers.
The defense features a dramatic facelift, projected to replace ten starters from last season. The unit's two lone returning starters are outside linebacker Antwan Peek Jr. and inside linebacker Jonathan Thompson. Peek, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist and the Big 12's top-rated safety last season according to PFF (85.0 grade), is making a key position change from safety, transiting closer to the line of scrimmage in Woody’s 3-4 front. The son of 2023 UC Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Antwan Peek Sr., Peek logged 59 tackles across 13 games last fall. Meanwhile, Thompson anchors the core after racking up 74 tackles and a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss in 2025, earning a spot on the 2026 Butkus Award Watch List.
To fill out the remaining positions, Cincinnati turned heavily to the transfer portal, relying on high-impact talent from the Mid-American Conference. A dominant trio from Northern Illinois—safety Jasper Beeler, cornerback Jacob Finley, and linebacker Filip Maciorowski reunited in Clifton after accounting for three of the Huskies' top five tacklers a season ago. They are joined by Bowling Green transfer corner MJ Cannon, an All-MAC selection who recorded 57 tackles and two TFLs against Cincinnati's offensive line last season.
Beeler, who ranked third at NIU last year with 77 tackles and three interceptions, spoke to the media earlier this week about the decision to transfer and the chemistry brewing in the defensive backfield:
"Three of us are here—me, Jacob Finley, and Filip Maciorowski," Beeler said. "When it came down to hitting the portal, they had both hit it before me, and I didn’t think I was going to leave. Then Jacob ended up leaving, so it kind of left me with no choice and made the decision. I was the first one here on campus. I called them up, they liked it, and we all ended up making the decision."
Beeler noted that the step up in daily work ethic and physical competition has been a welcome challenge during camp.
"It’s been great. I’ve loved every single second of it—the winter workouts, spring ball, summer, to now," Beeler said. "I’ve grown so much just being here, from my body to my mental state, and just being around the guys. This is probably the closest team I’ve been around. It’s the level of work and the intensity of the work—it’s just different. You’ve got to come in and be at your A-game every single day... It’s football, man. At the end of the day, everybody wants to compete and everybody wants to win. Obviously, it’s going to get physical—we’re all grown men, so this is what happens."