Cincinnati Bearcats Football: 5 Guys Who Need a Great Spring Performance

With spring practice only about a month away, there are certainly some position battles that should be interesting to watch.

Losing the amount of talent and experience Cincinnati did has left many positions wide open. Some players have talent, but limited experience to go along with that talent.

Their time to step up is 2012, and it all starts this spring.

Here are five players who need a great spring performance to propel them into next season. 

Travis Kelce has certainly had an up-and-down career while at Cincinnati, and entering his senior season in 2012, he will likely be counted on as the starter at tight end for Cincinnati.

As a red-shirt freshman in 2009, Kelce saw action in the wildcat formation at quarterback.

He was then suspended for the entire 2010 season for a violation of team rules.

Kelce showed glimpses last year serving as a backup tight end. He caught 13 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

Now it is his turn to step into the starting role. Cincinnati will need him to come up big as he is the only tight end with any meaningful game experience.

Maalik Bomar will be entering his senior season and third year as a starter.

He has played the past two seasons in the shadow of fellow linebacker J.K. Scahffer, but this year he be counted on much more heavily.

Bomar is the second-leading returning tackler on the team and has as much experience as anybody on defense.

He will need to show that experience and give Cincinnati some senior leadership on the defensive side of the ball beginning this spring.

Not many receivers in the Big East have the talent of Kenbrell Thompkins.

The senior was inconsistent last season with five or more receptions in six games, but only went over 73 yards and five catches once the entire year.

He finished the season as the Bearcats second-leading receiver with 44 receptions for 536 yards and two touchdowns.

Cincinnati knows what they are going to get from Anthony McClung at receiver, but will need Thompkins to step up in that No. 2 role.

Nick Temple stepped into the starting role midway through last season as a true freshman at the linebacker position and showed as much promise as any freshman on the roster.

Spring practice will be a chance for him to get some experience and become more comfortable in the starting role.

He finished last season with 35 tackles. Those numbers will improve significantly next season if Temple can continue to progress as expected. 

While Nick Temple was the most productive freshman on defense last year, Alex Chisum showed the most promise on offense.

He emerged at the No. 4 receiver by the end of the year and finished the season with 302 yards and two touchdowns on 19 receptions.

With D.J. Woods now departed, Chisum will step into the starting role, but will need to continue to improve to develop into the type of player he is capable of becoming.

Chisum has the potential to be an all-league player by 2013, and getting better at spring practice is a must for the sophomore.