Cincinnati Bearcats Football: 5 Seniors Cincinnati Will Miss in 2012

With the Liberty Bowl now less than a week away, Cincinnati will be saying goodbye to a host of seniors who have helped mold the program into what it is today.

The Bearcats are set to lose 11 starters, including seven on the offensive side of the ball.

While there are players waiting in the wings to step in and take their place, for some, there are going to be some big shoes to fill.

Here are the five seniors Cincinnati will miss the most when the 2012 season begins.

Offensive tackle Alex Hoffman is a two-time all-Big East selection and has been an anchor on the Cincinnati offensive line for the past three seasons.

At 6'7" and 295 pounds, Hoffman has the size to play at the next level.

He earned second-team all-Big East honors as a sophomore and after an injury-plagued junior season, he had an excellent senior year, and once again, was a second team all-Big East pick.

Replacing an offensive tackle is hard enough, but replacing one as talented as Hoffman will be extremely difficult for Cincinnati in 2012.

Like Hoffman, linebacker J.K. Schaffer has been three-year starter and one of the best Cincinnati has ever had at that position.

The local product has gone over 100 tackles for the third straight season, becoming only the fifth Bearcat to do so.

He has been a second team all-Big East performer each of the past two seasons.

Cincinnati was very thin at linebacker coming into the season but has a trio of talented freshman that will have a shot to step into the starting role next season.

No matter who wins the job, it will be tough to duplicate what Schaffer has accomplished over the past three seasons.

Quarterback Zach Collaros is the definite leader of the team, and he will be missed next year in all facets of the game.

He was first team all-Big East player last season and second team this year, despite missing nearly four games with a broken ankle.

Collaros does it all for Cincinnati, both with his feet and with his arm.

He will be greatly missed next season, but his replacement Munchie Legaux has proven he has the talent to step into the starting role.

It may take him a while to develop into the player Collaros is though.

Cincinnati will have to replace both defensive tackles next season in John Hughes and Derek Wolfe.

Wolfe has been one of the best the school has ever seen at that position.

The big man was the Big East defensive player of the year this season and has been a second team all-American each of the past two years.

He's a difference maker on defense and is clearly the most talented player on that side of the ball for Cincinnati.

Whoever takes his starting job will have big shoes to fill next season.

The star running back is one of the most explosive players in the country, and last week was named the Big East offensive player of the year.

He has gone over 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons and has averaged over six yards a carry for his career

He's third on the Cincinnati all-time rushing list, despite only being a full-time starter for two seasons and playing in pass-happy offenses. 

Replacing Pead will be harder than any other player Cincinnati will lose because of his game-changing, big-play ability.