Cincinnati Bearcats Football

Everyone in the Queen City knows senior Zach Collaros will be the Bearcats' starter for the 2011 season.

As a junior, Collaros was first-team all Big East and while there were some bumps along the way, he is clearly the Bearcats' man under center. 

The backup position was held by Chazz Anderson last season and he was slated to hold the same position again. 

Anderson is a senior from Pickerington, Ohio and was ahead of Collaros on the depth chart for their first two seasons in Cincinnati. Collaros passed him up in 2009 when he replaced the injured Tony Pike.

Since then, Anderson has been living in the shadows and was even getting some competition for the No. 2 position from some of the younger players on the roster. 

Anderson is set to graduate next month and is likely to leave Cincinnati for a Division II program where he can get immediate playing time. 

With Anderson soon to be gone, that leaves the backup quarterback position wide open. There is a group of three players who are conceivably in the mix. 

Junior Brendon Kay has been battling injuries all spring, but is entering his fourth year in the program. 

Sophomore Munchie Legaux saw action at wide receiver last season due to the injuries and ineligibilities at the position. Instead of redshirting and learning from Collaros, he was catching passes. 

Legaux is a dual-threat quarterback that may be the most talented of the bunch. 

The third possibility is Jordan Luallen, a transfer from Georgia Tech. Luallen, like Legaux is a dual-threat who is a dark horse for the job. 

Hopefully whoever wins the job will only see the field in mop up situations of Bearcat victories and Zach Collaros will take all of the meaningful snaps. 

That might just be too good to be true. 

Two years ago, the Cincinnati Bearcats had six players selected in the NFL draft and last year they produced three. This season was a little different however, as Jason Kelce was the lone selection. 

Kelce was taken in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. He will join former Bearcats Trent Cole and Brent Celek in Philadelphia. 

For Kelce, being selected was the culmination of five years of hard work. 

He was not heavily recruited out of Cleveland Heights High School and after earning all-league honors two years in a row, Kelce was named league defensive MVP. He recorded 105 tackles and 33 tackles for loss as a high school senior from the linebacker position.

After walking on to the University of Cincinnati, Kelce redshirted in 2006 under former head coach Mark Dantonio. 

He was moved to the offensive side of the ball in 2007 and saw action in nine games at center and guard. 

Kelce became a starter at left guard in 2008 and helped anchor an offensive line that led the Bearcats to the Orange Bowl. In 2009, Kelce really burst onto the scene, earning second-team All Big East honors, while starting 13 games at left guard. 

The 2009 Cincinnati Bearcats set school records for points and touchdowns and earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl.

As a senior in 2010, Kelce moved to center to fill a big void left by the departed Chris Jurek. He stepped in admirably and anchored an inexperienced group. He once again earned second-team All Big East honors. 

In his five years at Cincinnati, Kelce has been through three head coaches. He has also been to four bowl games, including two BCS bowls. 

While he has never been the flashy and explosive guy many NFL teams may desire, his leadership and work ethic will allow him to succeed at the next level and possibly develop into a starter on Sundays. 

The Cincinnati Bearcats took to the field last weekend for their annual spring game, deemed Bearcat Bowl V. 

In a slight change from last year, head coach Butch Jones instituted a modified scoring system. He put his players in different game situations and awarded points for the offense and defense based on performance. 

In a surprising result to those on hand on a rainy Saturday in Cincinnati, the defense came out on top 63-53, and the star of the game was perhaps the most talented player on the Bearcat defense, Walter Stewart. 

Stewart has been moved from linebacker to defensive end and shined in the spring game. He recorded three sacks and impressed those in attendance. 

Cornerback Cameron Cheatham, who saw significant playing time after the injury to Dominique Battle last season, also had a nice night and shared the Iron Bearcat Award for the winter and spring with Stewart. 

On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver/kicker Danny Milligan had the big night. Milligan scored two touchdowns on offense and also kicked a 52-yard field goal. 

Jones decided to have the spring game in the middle of spring practice so his team could work on some things after the game. The Bearcats will conclude their spring sessions this weekend. 

Bearcat Bowl V allowed some younger players to get some playing time under their belts and will give Cincinnati something to work on heading into the summer months. 

They certainly have a lot to improve on if they want to get back to where they were in 2009 and 2010. 

Heading into their final week of spring practice, the Cincinnati Bearcat players are certainly looking forward to the annual Bearcat Bowl on Saturday. 

Cincinnati returns most of its core nucleus from last season, including 18 starters and has several new players itching to get on the field. 

Once again, the Bearcats will be strong at wide receiver. One of those receivers is junior college transfer Kenbrell Thompkins. Thompkins sat out last season after Tennessee would not release him from his scholarship. 

He is an explosive receiver with 4.4 40-speed and shined in the Bearcat Bowl a season ago. Thompkins has developed as a leader to younger players both on and off the field. 

Another receiver to watch is sophomore Anthony McClung. McClung saw action as a true freshman last season and even started a few games toward the end of last season. 

Senior D.J. Woods will be back to anchor a strong group. Woods was a Second-Team All-Big East selection last season after finishing the year with 898 yards and eight touchdowns. 

Fifth-year senior and team leader Zach Collaros will be eager to get back on the field after his team struggled to a 4-8 finish last season, despite finishing on the All-Big East First-Team. 

Talented running back Isaiah Pead will also return in the backfield along with Darrin Williams. 

One the defensive side of the ball Cincinnati returns everyone. Look for junior Walter Stewart to have a big season. Stewart has moved from linebacker to defensive end in the spring. He is the one player who on a very below average defense has the ability to consistently get to the quarterback. 

Senior J.K. Schaffer was a Second-Team All-Big East selection last season and is a tackling machine at linebacker. 

Spring practice began last Sunday. The crazy weather of Cincinnati has offered the players the chance to play in the snow and also in 80 degree temperatures within a ten day span. 

Saturday night, all of their hard work from the spring will culminate in the Bearcat Bowl where they will show fans what they have to offer for the upcoming season. 

Judging by the number of wide receivers in Butch Jones' first recruiting class, it is safe to say Cincinnati will be throwing the ball around a little bit next season. 

The Bearcats already have six receivers committed in the class of 2011, three of whom are ranked in the top 100 in the country, according to Rivals.com. 

The Bearcats will have to replace three of their top four receivers, including Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton and Marcus Barnett. 

D.J. Woods will be back for his senior season and last year's top two recruits, JUCO Kenbrell Thompkins and freshman Dyjuan Lewis, will be eligible this season after being forced to sit out 2010. Freshmen Anthony McClung and Munchie Legeaux, who saw action last season due to the injuries suffered at wide receiver, also return. 

While some of these receivers will certainly be redshirted next season, a few will have a chance to make an impact, including Shaquille Washington, Alex Chisum and Chris Moore. 

Washington is a a playmaker from northern Ohio and at 5'8" and 147 pounds, he is as elusive as anybody in the Bearcats class. 

Chisum is a Georgia kid who chose Cincinnati over SEC schools. Chisum has a chance to see immediate playing time due to the departure of Armon Binns. He is known as an excellent route runner with great hands who could be a threat for Cincinnati down the stretch. 

Moore comes to Cincinnati via Tampa, Florida and like most athletes from the Sunshine State he can run. With 4.5 forty speed, the Bearcats will certainly try to use him for the years to come and Moore could see instant action in 2011. 

Rounding out the class for the Bearcats is a local kid, Rodriguez Coleman out of LaSalle High School in Cincinnati. Fellow three-star recruit Damon Julian is a junior college transfer who could see immediate playing time with his 6'3" and 215 pound frame.

Perhaps the least touted recruit in the class is Max Morrison. Morrison is an Ohio kid who put up astronomical numbers at the high school level. He from a huge football family. Morrison's grandfather played in the NFL for 14 years and his uncle is former Michigan head coach Gary Moeller. He could be a hidden gem in the Bearcats recruiting class. 

When these six receivers reach Clifton this summer, Cincinnati could have a group of a dozen vying for playing time. While they won't all see the field this season, Butch Jones and his staff are building quite a stable of wide receivers who will benefit the Bearcats for years to come. 

The 2011 NFL draft for the Cincinnati Bearcats could be much like the 2010 NFL Draft, where three seniors were selected. 

In 2010, seniors Mardy Gilyard, Tony Pike and Ricardo Mathews were all selected in the middle-to-late rounds of the NFL Draft. 

This season, three seniors have a chance to get selected once again: wide receivers Armon Binns and Vidal Hazelton and center Jason Kelce. 

Among the three, Binns is the only one who is certain to be selected. Hazelton and Kelce will need good showings in the pre-draft camps to solidify themselves. 

Binns had an explosive senior season. He caught 75 balls for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. While he does not have the explosive speed of some receivers in the draft, he has great hands and decent size at 6'3" and 204 pounds. 

Hazelton missed nearly his entire senior season with a torn ACL after sitting out 2009 following his transfer from USC. 

Without the injury, Hazelton was a surefire draft pick. Now, he has some work to do. He is similar in stature to Binns at 6'3" and 213 pounds. 

He was one of the most highly touted recruits coming out of high school and never lived up to his full college potential. If Hazelton can flash some of that potential he showed in high school, his stock could rise up the draft board rather quickly. 

Jason Kelce was a staple on the Bearcats offensive line for the past three seasons and has the ability to play any of the interior positions. 

WIth his size at 6'3" and 282 pounds, Kelce will be suited for center in the pros. Most draft boards have him as one of the top 10 centers in the draft, and his versatility could help him find a spot on Sundays next season. 

While these three Bearcats will be missed next season, hopefully they can find themselves playing at the next level in 2011.