Transfers, fresh faces, and tough questions: Inside the Bearcats’ offseason

As we approach the start of the 2025 college football season, we have all heard of the transfer portal and NIL madness, which are impacting almost every football program. Here a deep dive into what the big moves the Cincinnati Bearcats made this offseason.

After the Bearcats finished 5-7 on the season, losing their final 5 games and missing out on a bowl game for the second straight year, the Bearcats were due to go through a lot of change this offseason.

Key Departures

The Bearcats lost 11 players off last year's roster due to the transfer portal, headlined by Tony Johnson, the Bearcats' third-leading receiver, who caught 48 passes for 449 yards and 6 touchdowns, who decided to transfer to Miami, Florida.

Jordan Robinson also entered the transfer portal, a junior cornerback who would've played a huge role defensively for the Bearcats this upcoming season. Robinson decided to transfer to Virginia.

Jordan Young, another junior cornerback who would've been a key role player this upcoming season as well. Young totaled 35 total tackles (19 solo and 16 assisted) and 5 pass deflections and will be playing at Arkansas next season.

The Bearcats are also losing several key players from last year's team due to their eligibility being up. John Williams was the lone Bearcat selected in the 2025 NFL draft, being selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 250th pick. Along with six others joining NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

Luke Kandra signed with the Carolina Panthers after going undrafted. Kandra was All-Big 12 the past two seasons and was an All-American in 2023, he allowed just one sack in 24 games in a Bearcat uniform.

Corey Kiner signed with the San Francisco 49ers, and in his three seasons at Cincinnati, he rushed for 2,562 yards, good enough for 8th all-time in program history. Kiner accounted for 1,264 yards of offense last season, the biggest contributor in terms of yards from scrimmage.

Jared Bartlett is joining the New York Jets, Josh Minkins is going to the New England Patriots, Xzavier Henderson is heading to Buffalo to join the Bills and Jamoi Mayes is staying in Cincinnati and joining the Bengals.

Key Additions

Cincinnati added 16 players through the transfer portal this offseason, one 4-star, fourteen 3-stars, and one 2-star. The Bearcats also added a number of recruits of can make a big impact from day one.

Joe Cotton was the lone 4-star recruit for the Bearcats, being a top 15 offensive tackle available in the portal. Cotton played at South Dakota last season, where he earned Missouri Valley All-Conference first team. Cotton was a vital part of the FCS's sixth-best rushing offense and ninth-best offense, where the offensive line allowed only 0.93 sacks per game and 2.93 tackles for a loss per game. Cotton chose Cincinnati over schools like Michigan and Wisconsin.

Jaylon White-McClain was the Bearcats' top-rated 3-star transfer, coming in from Old Dominion. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, White-McClain is a hyper-athletic defensive lineman who will fit in nicely in the short-staffed position group.

Matthew McDoom was one of the more athletic defensive backs available in the transfer portal and chose Cincinnati over Big 12 rivals West Virginia and Oklahoma State. McDoom played last season at Coastal Carolina, where he ended the season with 36 total tackles, 3 interceptions, 10 pass deflections and a fumble recovery. McDoom will see the field a lot for the Bearcats who are in desperate need of good secondary play.

Tawee Walker was thought to be the next piece in a long line of outstanding Wisconsin running backs before he entered the transfer portal. Walker started his career playing in JUCO before he transferred to Wisconsin and made a name for himself. Walker had 864 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on just 190 carries last season (4.5 yards per rush), which is exactly the proven production the Bearcats need with the departure of Corey Kiner.

Christian Harrison transferred out of Tennessee and to Cincinnati in hopes of playing a larger role. Harrison played at Tennessee his last three seasons and didn't see the field much at all, totaling 20 tackles, 1 pass deflection, and half a sack. Harrison will likely be taking the role that Josh Minkins played last year, the do-it-all safety who can line up in the slot, out wide, in deep zone coverage, and even cover a tight end from time to time.

Caleb Goodie (Sophomore, Colorado State) and Cyrus Allen (Junior, Texas A&M) are the top 2 receivers that Cincinnati picked up in the transfer portal. Goodie and Allen together totaled 705 yards and 5 touchdowns, both being threats across the middle and down the field. Both have the ability to take over games with their speed, something that Cincinnati has always had in its past wide receivers. Goodie and Allen both missed time last season with injuries but are fully healthy and ready to make an impact on an offense who needs playmakers.

On the other hand, Jeff Caldwell, a wide receiver from Lindenwood, played a full season and caught 52 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns. at 6-foot-5, Caldwell is a fantastic red-zone target and matches up well with just about any defensive back. Caldwell was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, something that is regarded as the Heisman trophy of FCS football. He didn't play the greatest of competition last year, but with resources from a power 4 program that has produced great wide receiver play it wouldn't be crazy to see Caldwell have an Alec Pierce-like season in 2025.

Patrick Gurd is a tight end from Ohio State who is taking a similar route to that of Joe Royer did last season. Gurd, a former teammate of Royer, caught only two passes in the past two seasons for the Buckeyes and is staying in his home state in the hope of playing a larger role. Gurd will likely be the number 2 tight end, playing a similar role that Joey Beljan did last season, mostly a piece blocking in the run game with the opportunity to prove himself in the pass game, something that Beljan did not thrive at.

Key Returners

Brendan Sorsby is entering his junior season, and after a promising sophomore year, Sorsby could be taking a jump to earn the national recognition he deserves. Sorsby passed for 2,812 yards with 18 passing touchdowns and 7 interceptions while having the 31st-ranked QBR in college football last season. Sorsby also ran for 447 yards and 9 touchdowns. With a deeper offensive line than last year, a more complete receiving group, and a hungry running back room, Sorsby could explode for 3,500 passing yards and 700 rushing.

Dontay Corleone, the Cincinnati native, surprised many when he decided to forgo the NFL Draft and play his last season of college football at Cincinnati. Corleone was First Team All-Big 12 in 2024 and Second Team All-Big 12 in 2023 and was a preseason All-American in 2023 and 2024. Corleone doesn't blow you away on the stat sheet, only having 3.5 sacks in 2024, but he is a nightmare for opposing offensive lines. Standing at 6-foot-one, 320 pounds, Corleone makes most of his impact stuffing the middle in the run game. Corleone was expected to go in the first three rounds in the 2025 NFL Draft, but decided to stay home and finish what he started.

Joe Royer, another Cincinnati Native, is returning to the Bearcats for his final season of College Football. Royer had a promising first season in Cincinnati, catching 50 passes for 522 yards and 3 touchdowns. Royer is a highly scouted NFL talent, most expect to be one of the first tight ends off the board in next year's draft. Royer was added to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, college football's most outstanding tight end. Royer surpassed the single-season reception record for tight ends, passing a record set by Travis Kelce in 2012. Joe Royer continues to catch notice of many NFL teams and for good reason, Royer could easily become one of the best tight ends in college football next season.