Cincinnati Football: Bearcats running back room is set to experience an overhaul

Cincinnati Bearcats face rival West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Cincinnati Bearcats face rival West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium.

A trio of Cincinnati Bearcats running backs entered the portal after the regular season finale in Stephan Byrd, Myles Montgomery and Shaun Thomas.

Byrd committed to the Bearcats in 2020 over several teams including Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee and more but didn’t get a chance to play.

Montgomery was third on the Bearcats with 428 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 66 carries, highlighted by a 63-yard score at Oklahoma State.

Thomas saw limited action at Cincinnati with seven carries for just 12 rushing yards this season, and he is expected to have two years of eligibility remaining.

Cincinnati Football: Bearcats running back room is set to experience an overhaul

  • Cornerback Sammy Anderson
  • Cornerback Justin Harris
  • Defensive back Isiah Cox
  • Defensive back Bryon Threats
  • Defensive back George Udo
  • Defensive back Deshawn Pace
  • Defensive end Justin Wodtly
  • Linebacker Jah-Mal Williams
  • Linebacker James Camden
  • Offensive lineman Cam Jones
  • Offensive lineman Luke Dalton
  • Running back Myles Montgomery
  • Running back Shaun Thomas
  • Running back Stephan Byrd
  • Tight end Chamon Metayer
  • Wide receiver Donovan Ollie
  • Wide receiver Ty Perkins

Check out the full list of Bearcats that are going to transfer including defensive back Sammy Anderson, plus safety duo Deshawn Pace and Bryon Threats.

Others that opted to transfer are offensive lineman Cam Jones, tight end Chamon Metayer, wide receiver Donovan Ollie and defensive lineman Justin Wodtly.

Pace posted a team-high 80 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and one interception this year, while playing a hybrid safety position for the first time in his career.

Wodtly was a major part of the defensive front with 31 tackles and three sacks in his sophomore year in 2022 before having a diminished role this season.

Cincinnati Football: Corey Kiner surpasses 1,000 rushing yards in season-ending loss

Cincinnati native and Bearcats running back Corey Kiner became the 13th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-yard milestone this season!

Even though it was a disappointing inaugural Big 12 campaign, Kiner was one of the bright spots and that momentum should continue into his senior year.

Kiner eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the sixth time this year, racking up a team-high 106 rushing yards on 18 carries as the season officially came to a close.

The Cincinnati product and former Roger Bacon High School standout is the first Bearcats running back to have 1,000 rushing yards since Jerome Ford in 2021.