Future for Bearcats looks bright

The University of Cincinnati football team is going to be very good for a very long time.

With or without senior quarterback Tony Pike, senior wide receiver Mardy Gilyard or head coach Brian Kelly, this young Bearcats squad is deep with talent and the future looks very promising.

UC is a very good team right now, No. 5 in the BCS standings and undefeated with an 8-0 record, but on game days I can’t help but envision how good the Bearcats will be in a year or two.

Sophomore quarterback Zach Collaros is just that, a sophomore, and has filled in for Pike better than anyone could have ever anticipated. Collaros’ outstanding play might even have Kelly asking himself, “Who should I start this week?”

Collaros has completed 47 of 63 passes (74.6 percent) for 749 yards and nine touchdowns with only one interception. Not to mention he has run for 213 yards on 31 carries with two scores.

Collaros has definitely solidified himself as Cincinnati’s quarterback of the future.

So who will Collaros throw to next season?

Only Armon Binns, D.J. Woods, Marcus Barnett, Jamar Howard, Ben Guidugli and senior transfer from the University of Southern California Vidal Hazelton. I can’t think of a team that will have a better group of receivers next year.

And in the backfield, Isaiah Pead will be a junior next season, John Goebel will be a senior and add Darrin Williams into the mix, wow.

Pead is developing into a great running back and is only going to get bigger, faster and stronger. He is already one of the best backs in the Big East and in two years he will be one of the best in the country.

Cincinnati’s offense will return six starters next season.

On the defense side of the ball, UC will lose Aaron Webster, Andre Revels, Craig Carey, Brad Jones, Curtis Young and Ricardo Mathews, but there are plenty of young guys who can and will step up to take their place.

First, JK Schafer is an animal. He looks like the Tasmanian Devil out there.

Schafer, a sophomore this season, leads the team in solo tackles with 32, is second only to Revels in total tackles with 51 and has three interceptions, tied for the most on the team with Webster. Wait until he’s a senior – he will be a monster in the middle.

Then there’s Drew Frey, Walter Stewart, Demetrius Jones, Dan Giordano, Dominique Battle, Brandon Mills, John Hughes, Derek Wolfe and the list goes on.

Frey, only a redshirt freshman, is already looking like a seasoned veteran. Frey ranks third on the team in tackles with 40, has two interceptions and one sack so far this season.

Stewart at 6-feet-5 and 226 pounds has started six games this season and has recorded 34 tackles, six for loss, four sacks and one interception.

Stewart will be a redshirt sophomore next season and he should replace Young next year as the Cats best outside linebacker.

I could go on all day about how much potential this young Bearcat defense has.

After losing 10 starters, UC’s defense wasn’t even supposed to be any good this year; imagine how much better they will be with another year of experience. Cincinnati defense returns five starters next season.

Kicker Jake Rodgers also returns next year for his senior season.

Cincinnati currently has 18 seniors, 16 juniors, 33 sophomores and 43 freshmen on its roster.

UC’s depth is one of the main reasons why they have been so successful and Kelly’s next man in philosophy has worked to perfection.

It’s a great time to be a Bearcats fan and it will continue to get better in the years to come.

One thing is for sure, this will be that last year Cincinnati doesn’t start the season ranked in the top-25. The voters won’t make that same mistake again.

How good will the Bearcats be next season? Will they be better than this year’s team? E-mail Marx at marxpc@mail.uc.edu.