Cincinnati Football 2026 Preview: Can the Big 12’s Best O-Line Hold This Thing Together?

Cincinnati made real progress last season, starting 7-1 before a five-game losing streak turned a promising year into a 7-6 finish. Now Scott Satterfield has to prove that progress can survive a massive roster reset. Brendan Sorsby is gone, along with the top three rushers, top five pass catchers and most of the defense, but the Bearcats may have the best offensive line in the Big 12 and there’s growing optimism around Georgia Southern transfer JC French IV at quarterback.

The question is whether Cincinnati can build enough around that foundation before the schedule gets tougher. Nate Woody arrives from Army to remake the defense, while a completely reworked group of running backs and receivers needs to give French enough support that the offense doesn’t have to live entirely on his right arm. There’s a path back to a bowl game, but with this much turnover, Cincinnati is one of the conference’s biggest unknowns.

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