5 burning questions for Cincinnati Bearcats ahead of Big 12 Media Days: QB position, losing receivers, Scott Satterfield debut & more

The Cincinnati Bearcats are now a member of the Big 12 ahead of the 2023 college football season.

The Bearcats have major questions about their football team before the season starts, especially after Luke Fickell left the college. To replace him, Cincinnati hired Scott Satterfield to take over as head coach.

Ahead of the 2023 Big 12 Media Days in Arlington, here are five burning questions Bearcats fans have:

#1 Who is the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bearcats?

Wasabi Fenway Bowl - Louisville v Cincinnati

The Bearcats have yet to confirm their starting quarterback for the 2023 season.

Cincinnati has Ben Bryant in the quarterback battle, who has tried to win the starting job since 2020 but lost the job to Desmond Ridder, who led them to the College Football Playoffs.

The Bearcats have a battle ahead of the season between Bryant and former Arizona State and Florida QB Emory Jones. Heading into the season, Satterfield hasn't said who will be the quarterback but is looking forward to the competition.

“Both of them are our most experienced players at that position, and that kind of shows,” Satterfield said after a spring workout. “You have the poise there, the experience that comes with playing, and those guys have played a lot of ball. They’ve been great competition.”

#2 Has the wide receiver room been turned over?

The Bearcats' wide receiver group will look a lot different this season.

Cincinnati saw Jadon Thompson, Nick Mardner and Drew Donley enter the transfer portal while Tyler Scott and Tre Tucker are off to the NFL. With that, only four receivers remain on the roster from last season.

Although the Bearcats had several receivers leave, Cincinnati did an excellent job in the transfer portal to replenish the talent. Dee Wiggins, Sterling Berkhalter, and Donovan Ollie all joined the team from the transfer portal.

Yet, with all the changes to the wide receiver room, who starts and steps up is a big question for the Bearcats.

#3 How will Scott Satterfield fare as the new head coach?

Scott Satterfield left Louisville to become the Cincinnati Bearcats' head coach

The Cincinnati Bearcats will have a new head coach for the 2023 season as Luke Fickell was hired by Wisconsin, and in turn, the Bearcats hired former Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield.

Satterfield went 25-24 with Louisville and, before that, went 51-24 as the head coach of Appalachian State. Right away, Satterfield will have his hands full trying to lead the Bearcats in a tough Big 12.

#4 How will the Cincinnati Bearcats do in the Big 12?

The Cincinnati Bearcats will finally move to the Big 12, but it seems a few years too late. The Bearcats will no doubt take a step back after losing the likes of Sauce Gardner and Desmond Ridder to the NFL.

In most rankings, Cincinnati is near the bottom of the Big 12, as many expect them to struggle in their debut season. The lone bright spot for the Bearcats is their non-conference schedule which sees them play Pittsburgh, Miami (OH), and Eastern Kentucky.

#5 Can the defensive line lead the way?

Dontay Corleone is one of the best D-Lineman in college football

Arguably the biggest strength of this Cincinnati Bearcats roster is their defensive line which will need to get after quarterbacks and stop the run for Cincinnati to get the win.

The D-Line features Jowon Briggs, who is back for his fifth season and recorded 60 tackles and three sacks last year. Also on the defensive line is Dontay Corleone, PFF's highest-graded defensive player in 2022 and one of the best run-stoppers in college football.

The rest of the D-Line features Malik Vann, Eric Phillips, Justin Wodtley, Dominique Perry, and Ryan Mullaney. The Bearcats' defense starts up front, and the D-Line will need to wreak havoc for Cincinnati to succeed.