Cincinnati Bearcats brought in a wide range of transfers throughout the offseason to fill key roles, especially at receiver, left tackle, and CB. Coach Scott Satterfield dove into how CU was able to sign 21 transfers for the 2025 season and how they all should help against the best teams like Nebraska in their 2025 opener in Missouri with QB1 Brendan Sorsby at the helm.

That would usually be the lead, but it’s not the most interesting thing Scott Satterfield said recently. The Bearcats’ 2nd-year coach didn’t tiptoe around his thoughts on their Week 1 showdown with Nebraska. In fact, the man charged with rebooting Cincinnati football did the exact opposite. On the latest Let’s Reign podcast, he looked straight into the lens and sent a warning shot to Matt Rhule’s Huskers: “We’re not going to back down on anything.” Those words weren’t empty. Satterfield meant it as he’s done this before when he was part of Appalachian State’s coaching staff during the historic 2007 upset over Michigan at the Big House.

So when asked if there were similarities between preparing for that game and the upcoming neutral-site opener against Nebraska, Satterfield leaned in: “Well, I think when you’re playing a team that is really good and everybody knows it, there’s just a little bit different feel about everything. I think there’s a little bit more sense of urgency. There’s a little bit more focus. You can’t just limp into the first game. You’ll get blown out.”

That urgency is very real, and Nebraska brings enough firepower to demand it. “They had one of their best years last year in a decade. They have a lot of those guys back. They went out and spent a lot of money and brought in some players. So, we know we’re going to get a really good football team,” Satterfield said. Cincinnati knows who they’re walking into Arrowhead Stadium with on August 28—a ‘potentially top 25 team’ that’s going to ‘bring a lot of red in the stands’. But that doesn’t mean the Bearcats are content being sparring partners. “It’s a great gauge for us to see where we’re at,” Satterfield added. “But man, we’re looking forward to that game… we’re going in this game to win it. I mean, that’s why we’re going. That’s why we’re going to play.”

The belief stems from more than just locker-room chemistry. It comes from the passing. Brendan Sorsby, now firmly entrenched as QB1, gives Cincinnati a real shot at catching Nebraska flat-footed. He’s not just another Power Five transfer. He’s the only FBS QB to log both a 425-yard passing game and a 125-yard rushing performance in the same season. He ended 2024 as one of only four talents in the nation to eclipse 2,800 passing yards, throw for 18 TDs, and add nine rushing scores. That’s dual-threat firepower in a Big 12 built around explosive plays.

More importantly, he’s grown into his role as a true field general. “My comfort level with the playbook this year compared to last year is just night and day,” Sorsby said on Day 2 of fall camp. “And then they know what they’re doing too [the wide receivers]. I’m just kind of verifying with them as they’re running across, and sometimes they might not know what they’re doing because they’re exhausted from running a deep route. They’re coming back. So, just making sure those guys are good. And being able to do that this year is nice.”

The tempo is faster. The scheme is tighter. Transfers now fill key holes that were exposed last season, especially in pass protection and the secondary. The front office went shopping with a purpose—and now Scott Satterfield believes he has the kind of roster that can go toe-to-toe with the Big Ten’s middle tier and not blink. He’s been here before. Only this time, he’s the head coach, not the assistant in the shadows. Matt Rhule’s Huskers will likely trot out phenom sophomore Dylan Raiola, who’s already been crowned the future. But for all the five-star noise, Nebraska still finished just 7-6 last fall.

That’s progress—but not invincibility. If Sorsby finds his rhythm early and UC’s new-look defense holds up, Arrowhead could become the site of another Scott Satterfield special. August 28 can’t come soon enough.

Scott Satterfield built the ability to add players brick by brick

If you’re wondering how Scott Satterfield convinced 21 transfers to buy into a program still finding its Big 12 footing, it’s not smoke and mirrors—it’s a carefully calculated roster build. CU went full blue-collar, retooling positions like WRs and cornerbacks from the ground up. According to Satterfield, it all started in-house. “We got great players here that we wanted to keep to be a part of this program. And so we took care of our guys and whatever we had left, we said, ‘All right, here’s what we got left. It’s not unlimited, we know that. But then let’s go out and get the right kind of guys,’” Satterfield told Dan Hoard. That balancing act—between retention and refresh—has defined the Bearcats’ offseason strategy.

“And I think our recruiting department did a great job of identifying and then once we brought them in, allowing them to get with our players, so that they can understand what they’d be coming into and then get around us coaches,” Satterfield continued. “I thought we did a great job with that. We have some outstanding transfers that have come in here that will certainly help us. You don’t really know what you’re getting until you get on the field.”

But here’s the kicker: “We’re very pleased with what we got, I think high-character guys that work hard and care about where we’re at with this program, to get us to be very competitive in the Big 12.” He didn’t just fill holes—he built culture. Some position rooms are almost unrecognizable. Cincinnati’s offensive overhaul isn’t just about new toys—it’s about the heartbeat that stayed. Leaders like Sorsby, center Gavin Gerhardt, and DL Dontay Corleone are the anchors. They know the drill, the language, and the expectations. It’s an intriguing blend of veterans and hungry newcomers colliding in fall camp—and it’s created the most hopeful buzz of the Satterfield era.