Cincinnati Bearcats Football: The Ten Most Important People in the Program

The Cincinnati Bearcats are headed to the Liberty Bowl and they have many people in the program to thank for that.

Some of them play a more integral part than others, but there is no question that everybody is important.

The seniors are very important to the program in its current status but there are also some young freshman and underclassmen who are as important as anybody because of the role they will play in the coming years.

Here are the ten most important people to the Cincinnati Bearcats program this year and heading into the future.

The Cincinnati group of seniors has been the most important class the program has ever seen.

That group is led by two men on the defensive side of the ball. One of them is J.K. Schaffer.

Schaffer is a three-year starter at linebacker and has over 100 tackles for the third straight season, becoming only the fifth Bearcat to do so.

After being a second-team all-Big East selection last season, Schaffer made the first team this year.

He is a local kid who has been the Bearcats leader on defense for three seasons. What he has done and what he means to the program is unmatched on the defensive side of the ball.

Derek Wolfe has been one of the best defensive tackles in the country over the past two seasons.

He was a consensus second-team all-American the past two years and was named the Big East defensive player of the year in 2011.

He is quite possibly the Bearcats best draft prospect and has been the key to an improving defense.

Wolfe is rated near the top of the country with 19.5 tackles for loss.

He will be dearly missed when he leaves the program, but has certainly helped Cincinnati step into the national spotlight.

Freshman running back Jameel Poteat saw limited snaps this season and only carried the ball 23 times for 108 yards.

He was the third string running back behind Isaiah Pead and George Winn.

However, he is the biggest recruit Cincinnati has gotten in quite some time and will be an integral part in the future of the program.

Developing into a future star is a possibility for Poteat who was impressive when he saw the field earlier in the season.

He will battle George Winn next year for the starting job and will be the future at running back for Cincinnati.

Even though he has been at the program for five years, Frey has already been granted a sixth year of eligibility due to injuries and will be the leader of the team next season.

Frey is a safety who will be in his fourth year as a starter in 2012.

He has already been a part of three Big East championships and will have a chance next year to go for his fourth.

Cincinnati will have a lot of underclassmen next season, particularly on the offensive side of the ball and Frey will be the unquestioned leader on defense for the Bearcats.

Isaiah Pead can do it all on the offensive side of the ball and is the most explosive player on the Cincinnati roster.

He was recently named Big East offensive player of the year and has gone over 1,000 yards rushing for the second straight season.

Pead is from Columbus and was a big get for Cincinnati when he committed four years ago.

He is rated one of the top running backs heading into the 2012 NFL Draft and has helped Cincinnati get talented running backs in their recent recruiting classes.

He will take the field for the final time in the Liberty Bowl and expect him to go out with a bang.

Alex Chisum is a true freshman receiver who has come on strong in recent weeks.

He is eerily reminiscent of former Cincinnati Bearcat and current Cincinnati Bengal wide receiver Armon Binns.

They are virtually the same size and even wear the same number.

Chisum has 18 catches for 290 yards and two touchdowns and will step into the starting role next season with the departure of senior D.J. Woods.

He is a big play threat for Cincinnati and will be a star in the coming years.

Not many players mean more to their program than Zach Collaros.

The fifth-year senior has been through everything at Cincinnati, including a few years on the baseball team.

He is currently recovering from a broken ankle and it is looking more and more likely that he will be able to play in the Liberty Bowl.

Replacing Collaros will be extremely tough for Cincinnati on the field, but the leadership he possesses and has displayed is unmatched by anybody in the country.

That will clearly be missed next season.

This sophomore receiver has quickly developed into the best wideout on the roster.

After starting the year as the No. 3 receiver, McClung has come on strong as of late, including an eight-catch, 142 yard, two-touchdown game in the season finale against Connecticut.

McClung finished the regular season with 48 catches for 675 yards and five touchdowns after an impressive season last year as a true freshman.

Due to all the injuries, he was forced to step into the starting role last year and finished the season with 22 catches for 217 yards.

Big things are expected out of McClung as he has developed into a favorite target of quarterback Munchie Legaux.

Sophomore quarterback Munchie Legaux has filled in for the injured Zach Collaros and has been impressive, improving steadily every week.

He has started the past three games which will prove beneficial heading into next season when he will be the man in Clifton.

Legaux is a dual-threat quarterback with one of the best names in the country.

Even if Collaros is healthy enough to play in the bowl game, Legaux will be ready and has gained valuable experience that will prepare him for the next two seasons as the most important man on the field for Cincinnati.

Butch Jones is on a mission—make Cincinnati the best football program in America.

He signed a contract extension through 2017 earlier this week and it finally looks like Cincinnati has found a coach that is going to stay around for more than a few years.

They have not only found a coach that is going to stay around, but have found an excellent coach at that.

Jones is a great motivator and he will be the one who takes Cincinnati to the next level in college football.