With the Cincinnati Bearcats’ off-season coming to a close, third-year head coach, Scott Satterfield, might have just the positives to look ahead to. As the fall camp nears its 2nd week at the Higher Ground Conference Center in Indiana, Satterfield believes this is the strongest team he has led at Cincy. Add to that a brand-new practice complex to operate in and a strong continuity carrying over from 2024 to lean on, and the HC is banking on a good year. Moreover, as has become the norm, Brendan Sorsby finds himself on yet another major preseason award watchlist heading into the 2025 season.

The QB has already started the season ranking as high as Top 20 in the nation, expected to lead his team to a bowl game. But what is his coach thinking? Scott Satterfield didn’t frown when asked about expectations for his QB1 on the “Let’s Reign” podcast.

“We have high expectations. Extremely high,” he started. “He wants to be one of the best in the Big 12… if you’re one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12, you’re going to be one of the best in the country. I think certainly we want that for Brendan. I think he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the country.” 

It isn’t going to be an easy path to tread, given the conference indeed has 9 QBs returning, headlined by Sam Leavitt. 4 of them are even ranked in the nation’s Top 14 by the Athletic. So, it is going to be a challenge climbing to the top, but Satterfield is up for it. “We have surrounded him with some really good talent at all levels—wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. Now he’s got to make good decisions and distribute the football. We know he’s tough. We know he can run and do all those things, but how can we get the ball in the air and push the ball down the field? That’s what we’re working on,” he added.

It’s a clear statement of intent: build an offense that can stretch defenses both vertically and horizontally, forcing Big 12 secondaries into mistakes.

The weapons are there. The Davey O’Brien Award has already named Sorsby to its 2025 watchlist, joining the Maxwell Award nod earlier this summer. Those aren’t just popularity contests—last season, Sorsby was one of only four FBS passers to post at least 2,800 passing yards, 18 passing scores, and nine rushing TDs. His blend of arm talent and mobility makes him a nightmare in RPO looks, while his improved chemistry with a completely retooled wide receiver room offers the potential for explosive plays. The line protecting him will be just as crucial, and Scott Satterfield has already named his starters.

Deondre Buford returns at RT for a third season, flanked by Evan Tengesdahl at guard, Gavin Gerhardt at center, Taran Tyo at the other guard, and Joe Cotton anchoring LT. That unit’s cohesion could be the quiet key to the whole operation. But there’s an intriguing subplot brewing beneath all the optimism—Sorsby’s future.

The QB still has a year of eligibility left, and Satterfield isn’t shy about dangling the benefits of staying put. “What’s his ceiling? I think it’s really high. For us, we’re going to push it as much as we can to get everything we can out of him and then we’ll see where we’re at at the end of the season. If we have the kind of year we think we’re going to have, he’ll be right there in the mix…and he’ll have the decision to make: do I want to come back and go one more year?”

He added that in today’s college football, “it seems like it pays off for these guys to come back another year because they are getting paid well. They’re also developing for another year…because once you go to the next level, it’s straight business. They’ll chop you in a heartbeat and it’s so competitive.” So, could we expect Sorsby to return? Well, that’s going to depend on how the season turns out. If you ask the HC, he’s quite optimistic.

Just in case Matt Rhule’s Nebraska needed reminding ahead of the Aug. 28 opener, Satterfield has already fired the first shot. Looking straight into the camera, he delivered the line that will echo until kickoff: “We’re not going to back down on anything.” It’s not just bluster—this Bearcats roster has the continuity, star power, and newfound depth. Yet, not everything is perfect. A key area still needs some “boosting” if they want to make the rival QBs life miserable.

Scott Satterfield’s side need a sack attack to spark the defense

If you want interceptions, you’ve got to rattle QBs first — and last year, Cincinnati just didn’t bring enough heat. The numbers tell the story: 1.75 sacks per game (86th nationally) and just 0.42 interceptions per game (118th). That’s not exactly the recipe for defensive fireworks.

The fix? Get disruptive in the backfield. Nobody on Scott Satterfield’s roster cracked eight sacks in 2024, and only three players even topped three — Dontay Corleone, plus Jared Bartlett and Eric Phillips, who are both gone. That means somebody in the new wave — think Jaylon White-McClain, CJ McCray, Mikah Coleman, or Marquaze Parker — has to step into the spotlight. The good news is “The Godfather” is back. Corleone’s had a fully healthy offseason after a blood-clot scare last year, and if he can blow up interiors like he’s capable of, the whole pass rush could rise with him.

Maybe it’s not about one star edge guy, but a committee approach built around Corleone’s interior push. Finding a way to better pressure late in games could flip close outcomes. The Bearcats went 1-4 in one-possession games last season. A clutch sack on third-and-long in the fourth quarter? That’s the kind of thing that turns heartbreak into handshakes at midfield.

In short, Cincinnati needs more havoc, more hits, and a whole lot more quarterbacks looking up at the sky from Paycor Stadium’s turf.