Oct 5, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; A detailed view of a Cincinnati Bearcats helmet with a patch for offensive lineman Ben FLick (77) during the second half against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. South Florida Bulls defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 26-20. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bearcats have a pressing need on the interior of the defensive line next season. Gone will be Jordan Stepp and Marquis Aiken with inexperienced players such as Alex Pace and Brandon Mitchell tasked at replacing their production. As such the coaches needed to fill the ranks from the high school or JUCO circuit. They accomplished that with the additions of Hakeem Allonce, Joel Thompson, and as of this weekend Chris Ferguson from Orlando, Florida. Oddly it was quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Darin Hinshaw who reeled him in. I would have figured defensive line coach, and arguably UC’s best recruiter, Robert Prunty would have been the one to sell Ferguson on the Bearcats. But he was just the secondary recruiter per 247 Sports. Whatever works, I suppose. Ferguson boasted scholarship offers from Minnesota and Illinois as well as several other FBS and FCS programs.
| Chris Ferguson | |
|---|---|
| Position | DT |
| Height - Weight | 6'6", 285 lbs |
| Hometown | Nassau, Bahamas |
| High School | Lake Nona |
| 247 Sports | - |
| Rivals | - |
| ESPN | - |
| Scout | - |
OVERVIEW
Admittedly I’ve been hard pressed to find extensive highlights of Ferguson. So we’ll just have to make do with what we have available to us. Based on his size, 6’6″ and pushing 275 lbs, Ferguson easily overpowers interior offensive linemen at the high school level. I’d imagine he garners double teams over 90% of the time he’s on the field. Based on limited tape and just looking at his measurables, Ferguson looks like a very encouraging prospect.
OUTLOOK
The defensive tackle position is a bit of a question mark in 2014 for Cincinnati. Pace, Mitchell, and senior Camaron Beard should be the front runners for a majority of the reps there. But that doesn’t necessarily mean one of the newcomers like Ferguson couldn’t step in and get some playing time. The kid is an absolutely monster with room to grow. UC’s coaches would probably be wise to slap a redshirt on Ferguson and “save” him to later without burning his eligibility. But I can understand if they are implored to put him on the field as a true freshman.