Cincinnati Football Roster Breakdown for Big 12 Matchup with Oklahoma

Cincinnati Bearcats football team prepares to face the Oklahoma Sooners in their inaugural Big 12 game.

It's a big week for the University of Cincinnati as they prepare to face off against Oklahoma in their inaugural Big 12 conference game. After a disappointing loss to Miami University last Saturday, the Cincinnati Bearcats football team is looking to bounce back and answer some tough questions.

Despite not having a long history of matchups, Cincinnati and Oklahoma will face off on the football field for the first time in 13 years. Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and will be looking to climb even higher after their game against Cincinnati.

So how does Oklahoma view Cincinnati's roster and their performance this season? Cincinnati's quarterback, Desmond Jones, has had a solid start to the season with a 66.3 percent completion rate and seven touchdowns. He has been a key player in Cincinnati's offense, throwing for over 24 points in all three games.

Jones has also been a threat on the ground, with 40 rushing attempts for 144 yards and three touchdowns. He leads the team in rushing touchdowns and is second in rushing yards. However, Jones did throw an interception in overtime against Miami, resulting in Cincinnati's first loss to them in over 16 years.

Before joining Cincinnati, Jones had stints at the University of Florida and Arizona State University. He even faced off against Oklahoma in the 2020 Cotton Bowl while playing for Florida. In that game, Jones completed eight of 16 passes for 86 yards and rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Another player on Cincinnati's roster with experience against Oklahoma is wide receiver Xzavier Henderson. Henderson played for Florida in the 2020 Cotton Bowl, catching one pass for 12 yards. He transferred to Cincinnati this season and has already accumulated 299 receiving yards and a touchdown in three games.

Cincinnati also has other talented receivers, including Braden Smith and Dee Wiggins, who have contributed significantly to the team's success this season. The trio of Henderson, Smith, and Wiggins have accounted for 37 of Cincinnati's 60 completions and 609 of their 858 receiving yards.

On the ground, Corey Kiner leads Cincinnati with 289 rushing yards on 47 carries. He has two touchdowns and an impressive average of 6.1 yards per carry. Ryan Montgomery is another key runner for Cincinnati, with 121 yards on 27 carries.

Cincinnati's offense has relied heavily on their rushing game, with 143 rush attempts compared to 88 pass attempts. They currently rank second in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game with 239.3 yards.

Defensively, Cincinnati boasts interior defensive lineman Dontay Corleone, who was named to multiple preseason All-American and trophy watch lists. Corleone has seven total tackles and a sack so far this season. He is part of a talented defensive front that has held opposing teams to low rushing yards in their previous games.

However, Cincinnati's defense struggled against Miami's passing game, with quarterback Brett Gabbert completing 12 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Cincinnati's secondary, led by safety Bryon Threats, corner Justin Harris, and STAR Deshawn Pace, will need to step up their game against Oklahoma's strong passing offense.

Cincinnati's linebacker room, featuring Dion Hunter, Trevor Adams, Dorian Jones, Daniel Grzesiak, and Jack Dingle, is also a key component of their defense and has high hopes for the season.

On the other side, Oklahoma leads the Big 12 in passing yards per game and total passing yards. They will pose a tough challenge for Cincinnati's defense.

Overall, Cincinnati is looking to bounce back from their loss to Miami and make a statement in their first Big 12 conference game against Oklahoma. It will be an exciting matchup between two talented teams.