Oct 11, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats safety Zach Edwards (22) intercepted a pass during the second quarter against the Temple Owls at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
3) Zach Edwards
The second freshman to really shine on defense in 2013 was Middletown converted wide receiver Zach Edwards. Cincinnati immediately installed him at nickelback, where he flourished from the onset. Edwards picked off a pass in the third game of the season against Northwestern State and followed that up with another pick a few weekends later against Temple. From early on it was obvious that the Bearcats had another young star on their hands.
Edwards finished the season with 73 tackles (third on the team), utilizing his speed to chase down quicker wide receivers in the slot. He also contributed 2.5 tackles for loss, the most of all other freshmen combined. Heading into 2014, it’s unclear if Edwards will backfill Arryn Chenault’s free safety role or continue optimizing his niche at nickelback. If he developed into the kind of nickelback that Chris Williams was for so many years, opposing teams will have a whale of a time passing on the Bearcats.
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