Two More Bearcats Land On Award Watch Lists

LB Eric Wilson and S Zach Edwards, both seniors, were named to the Butkus and Thorpe award watch lists.

Wilson, a senior linebacker who transferred in from Northwestern as a sophomore, led the team in tackles last season, with 106.  Wilson was a second-team All-AAC selection as a junior, and figures to again anchor UC’s linebacker corps in 2016, having started all but one game last season.

Senior safety Zach Edwards, a local product out of Middletown High School, has also earned preseason recognition, being included on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back.  Like Wilson, Edwards started all but one game last year, and finished the year second on the team with 94 tackles of his own, which was good enough for Honorable Mention All-AAC honors.  He has seven career interceptions, including three last season.

Led by Wilson and Edwards, this year’s Cincinnati defense has the potential to continue the improvement it showed last season.  The Bearcats have only minimal losses on defense, which is one of the only silver linings of the unit being so young and inexperienced for the last few years.  With the exception of Leviticus Payne, the entire starting secondary is back.  Bryce Jenkinson played well as a freshman last season alongside Wilson at linebacker, and Silverberry Mouhon is the only major loss on the defensive line.

With an experienced defense, there is no excuse for a step backward this Fall.  We’ll see if Tommy Tuberville’s players continue to grow up and come into their own in 2016.  Tubs has said that he had to unwillingly play several guys very young, even stripping redshirts in some cases, because of the lack of depth that was left on the roster when Butch Jones left.  A lot of those players now have solid experience and time as a starter under their belts, especially on the defensive side of the ball.