Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive Line | Defensive Line | Linebacker | Defensive Back | Athlete |
Ross Trail | Taylor Boose | Braxton Neal | Doug Bates | Reed Armagost | Marquise Copeland | Bryce Jenkinson | Malik Clements | Daniel Cobb |
Joshuwa Holloman | James Gardner | Garrett Jansen | Matthew Draper | Joshua Norwood | ||||
Norman Oglesby | Ulysees Gilbert | Jhavonte Dean | ||||||
Griffin Riggs | ||||||||
Caleb Ashworth | ||||||||
Position (Total) 1(1) | 2(3) | 2(5) | 1(6) | 1(7) | 5(12) | 3(15) | 3(18) | 1(19) |
So, a class that stands 19 deep, with no early enrollee's at this point means that the Bearcats will be constrained by the 25 man limit unless they can convince one of the above committed players to take a greyshirt. That could very well happen, but I wouldn't bank on it. There is a more pressing current concern, the 85 man scholarship limit.
Now what follows is simply rough math, going through past signing lists and comparing them with players known to be on the roster and on scholarship. Between the 2010 through 2014 recruiting classes, transfers and former walk on's who have been granted scholarships I have the Bearcats carrying 81 scholarship players for the 2014 season. 76 from the 2010 through 2014 recruiting classes, four transfers on scholarship* and Lindsay Crook. The Bearcats will almost certainly award scholarships to one or two long serving walk ons, maybe Clemente Casseus or Kevin Hyland. There is always the possibility for a last minute graduate transfer ala John Williams and Marquise Aiken that could materialize before the start of camp, or even an out and out transfer like Mekale McKay. My best guess would be to assume 83 scholarship players for the start of the season, but that is essentially unknowable until the season starts.
*Gunner Kiel, Jeff Luc, Eric Wilson, and Tyreek Burwell
But assuming 83 scholarship players the attention turns to the seniors who are moving on. According to the official roster the UC has 21 seniors on scholarship. I know for a fact that is wrong because they inexplicably list Shaq Washington as a senior, even though it is known that he has two more years of eligibility. So make that 20, which gives Tubs theoretical room for 24 in the class. But that is only true if they decide not to use one of the four open slots in this class and carry them over. If one of the scholarships is bestowed on an underclassman the room in this class shrinks.
They also have the option to fit more guys in this class if they can find guys who want to enroll early. Because UC had four players enroll early a year ago they can backdate up to four players if they enroll in January. Currently none of the Bearcats commits are going to enroll early, so it would have to be a new commit to expand the class.