SB Nation
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Bearcats X Factors

In the build up to any season there will always be a handful of positions that are up in the air. Spots where a guy needs to step up and make his. The center position in 2011 was a great example with Evan Davis needing to make a huge leap after losing his job midway through the 2010 season. Davis came through and the Bearcats got back to winning conference championships. So who are those guys in 2014?

  • Live
5 Total Updates since August 27, 2025
  • Articles 5
  • All Updates 5

Bearcats X Factors: LEVITICUS PAYNE

A position that has seen its importance skyrocket in recent years has been that of the third cornerback. With the continuing proliferation of spread sets and uptempo offenses that spot has become more and more important. Gone are the days when a defense could throw just any defensive back onto the field in that spot without it mattering. This year that third corner is going to be LEVITICUS PAYNE.

Continue

Bearcat X Factors: C. Keebler and K. Schloemer

The Bearcats of 2013 managed to lead the conference in rushing, but that wasn't an indication of the quality of the running game. The simple truth of the matter is that the Bearcats weren't very good at running the football last year. They must be better this year while breaking in two new first time starters in Kevin Schloemer and Kory Keebler

Continue

Bearcat X Factors: Brandon Mitchell

The Cincinnati Bearcats boasted one of the top defenses in the nation in 2013. While most of the major pieces from that team are coming back this year, there are a few positions where the Bearcats will be refreshing their rotation in 2014. Chief among them is defensive tackle, which loses the top four from last year's rotation, there are no shortage of candidates to take reps in 2014, but that's not really what the Bearcats need this year.

Continue

Bearcats X Factors; Eric Wilson

Linebacker is one of the best and deepest positions on the Bearcats team heading into the 2014 season. For a group that so routinely projects as a strength there are a couple of moving pieces to the group. After a year at outside linebacker on the weak side Jeff Luc is moving inside to his natural position. Taking up his place on the weakside will be Eric Wilson, and he is a sneaky big key for this Bearcats team.

Continue

Bearcats X Factors: Tion Green

In the build up to any season there will always be a handful of positions that are up in the air. Spots where a guy needs to step up and make his. The center position in 2011 was a great example with Evan Davis needing to make a huge leap after losing his job midway through the 2010 season. Davis came through and the Bearcats got back to winning conference championships. So who are those guys in 2014?

Continue
X
Log In Sign Up

forgot?
Log In Sign Up

Forgot password?

We'll email you a reset link.

If you signed up using a 3rd party account like Facebook or Twitter, please login with it instead.

Forgot password?

Try another email?

Almost done,

By becoming a registered user, you are also agreeing to our Terms and confirming that you have read our Privacy Policy.

Join Down The Drive

You must be a member of Down The Drive to participate.

We have our own Community Guidelines at Down The Drive. You should read them.

Join Down The Drive

You must be a member of Down The Drive to participate.

We have our own Community Guidelines at Down The Drive. You should read them.

Authenticating

Great!

Choose an available username to complete sign up.

In order to provide our users with a better overall experience, we ask for more information from Facebook when using it to login so that we can learn more about our audience and provide you with the best possible experience. We do not store specific user data and the sharing of it is not required to login with Facebook.