Tag: University of Cincinnati

WATCH: Chiefs release video highlighting Travis Kelce’s incredible football career

The #Chiefs released a video that showcased Travis Kelce’s incredible football career.

The Kansas City Chiefs are never shy when showing love to their players, and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce was the latest recipient of the team’s admiration on social media.

Kelce, who has played for Kansas City since he was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, was featured in a video released on Twitter that showed all of the high points in his football career, from his time at the University of Cincinnati to now.

While no single post to social media channels can encapsulate how much he means to Kansas City’s fans or the Chiefs organization at large, the video was a great way for the team to showcase some of the defining moments of Kelce’s career.

With the 2024 NFL Draft set to kick off next week, there is never a bad time for Kansas City to re-live some of the highest points in the Chiefs’ — or Kelce’s — storied history in the NFL.

Steve Spagnuolo challenging Bryan Cook to become a leader on Chiefs defense

#Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is challenging safety Bryan Cook to become a leader on Kansas City’s defense this season. | from: @EdEastonJr

The front office of the Kansas City Chiefs, led by general manager Brett Veach, has constantly been forward-thinking about adding younger talent to the team’s roster. Kansas City hasn’t dwelled much on retaining established veterans and tends to build their squad through the draft, choosing to develop players in-house instead of turning to free agency to fill crucial roles.

A solid example of this formula was the selection of Cincinnati safety Bryan Cook in 2022. He initially played in a reserve role behind Juan Thornhill. Now, after Thornhill’s departure in the offseason, Cook will get his chance to take over a starting spot this season. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo met with the media after Tuesday’s practice and praised Cook’s work ethic and development in training camp.

“Bryan [Cook] is really going to become the quarterback of the defense,” Spagnuolo explained. “Him and Nick [Bolton], and [he is] especially the quarterback on the back end. One other thing about Bryan [Cook] is he’s always looking for feedback.

“He came the other day and he wanted to do some more drills. That’s one thing he’s got, we saw that when we were looking at him out of [The University of] Cincinnati, his work, he loves football, passionate about football and we’re banking on him in that regard.”

Spagnulolo had utilized Cook in many big spots, including in Super Bowl LVII. He has shown his confidence in the young safety, and fans will have to stay tuned to see how Spagnuolo will plan to maximize Cook’s talent in 2023.

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Troubling details emerge about Mike Bohn’s management of USC athletics

.@Ryan_Kartje of @LATimesSports produced detailed reporting on the deeper story inside #USC athletics.

What has happened inside the walls of the USC athletic department under former athletic director Mike Bohn’s leadership? Speculation flew across the internet and the USC community when the explosive news of Bohn’s abrupt resignation hit the wires on Friday afternoon. Just exactly what was going on, and why?

We don’t have all the answers, and more details are probably going to be revealed in the coming days and weeks, but we at least know what the fundamental issue was and is.

Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that according to multiple sources inside the USC athletic department, Bohn made inappropriate remarks about the physical appearance of female colleagues. Additional sources told Kartje that Bohn did not attend meetings he was supposed to attend.

Kartje pointed out that on Thursday, Bohn and USC were asked by the L.A. Times about internal department criticisms of Bohn’s management and leadership practices. The fact that Bohn submitted his resignation on Friday, one day later, is notable.

Let’s go through a number of the details raised by the Times’ reporting on this story:

Colts draft WR Alec Pierce: 5 things to know

Here are 5 things to know about Colts’ new WR Alec Pierce.

After trading back with the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard waited until pick No. 53 to make the team’s first selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

After much suspense, Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce is the newest member of the blue and white. Here are five things to know about Matt Ryan’s newest weapon:

 

 

2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: WR Alec Pierce, Cincinnati

Alec Pierce looks to provide a speedy, possession role in the NFL.

Alec Pierce turned in his best season when he led the Cincinnati Bearcats with 52 receptions for 884 yards and eight scores in 2021, all coming from fellow draft-hopeful quarterback Desmond Ridder. Pierce’s resume may seem a bit lighter on production, but he played special teams as a freshman and missed games in 2020 with a knee injury during an already-shortened season due to COVID.

Pierce was a mismatch as a deep threat during Cincinnati’s fine 2021 season that ended in the Peach Bowl with a three-point loss to Georgia. He averaged over 17 yards in the three seasons that he played wideout on a team that didn’t throw much.

Height: 6-3
Weight: 211 pounds
40 time: 4.41 seconds

The physical receiver should have no problems landing on an NFL team as an aggressive big-body receiver that can play outside on either side. His performance at the NFL Combine boosted his stock further with a 4.41 40-time and a 40.5″ vertical jump.

Also see: 2022 NFL Draft Central

Table: Alec Pierce NCAA stats (2018-21)

Year School Games Catch Yards Avg. TD Runs Yards TD
2018 Cincinnati 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019 Cincinnati 12 37 652 17.6 2 0 0 0
2020 Cincinnati 6 17 315 18.5 3 0 0 0
2021 Cincinnati 14 52 884 17.0 8 0 0 0

Pros

  • Big frame with solid speed
  • Excellent at high-point catches over shorter defenders
  • Adept at finding holes in zone coverage
  • Tough enough to control the middle of the field
  • Speed adapts well to vertical routes
  • Will win 50/50 passes
  • Highly competitive
  • Sharp route runner
  • Solid blocker with size to help running game
  • Playmaker that delivers chunk plays

Cons

  • Lacks elite burst
  • Precise route running but lacks fluidity
  • Yards after catch could improve
  • Ran limited route tree in college
  • Will need to learn to defeat NFL jams at the line

Fantasy outlook

Pierce is a big receiver with better-than-average speed, which the NFL always likes. He’s a lock to play the outside and is likely to be a possession receiver than a deep threat. He’s been likened to Jordy Nelson by many scouts and he is roughly the same size and a tad bit faster.

The expectation is that he’ll need to continue his development in the NFL to become a complete receiver. He has the potential to turn into a No. 1 wideout and leading receiver for a team. He has good hands and knows how to get open and come down with the ball. But that will depend on where he lands and the opportunity he’ll get there. Pierce should be a Day 2 pick, and he’s another player that will send teams scrambling to trade up if he falls to the third.

His size and catch radius make him an attractive option in the end zone. He’s been a deep threat in college. Pierce just needs to prove himself in the NFL as an offensive weapon that can be relied on at all three levels of the defense. His best fantasy outcome is to land on an NFL team that has an elite quarterback and win the starting split end or flanker role. He has the potential to develop into a solid fantasy contributor if he translates into a possession receiver.

2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: RB Jerome Ford, Cincinnati

Jerome Ford lends breakaway speed to his North-South running style that should get him onto NFL playing fields.

Jerome Ford originally played for Alabama, but like so many other top high school athletes, he found himself just one of many elite players for the Crimson Tide (Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris). After appearing in just eight games over two years, he entered the transfer portal as a redshirt sophomore in 2020 and went to Cincinnati for the next two seasons.

Ford originally was one of the top college prospects in 2018 when he attracted offers from North Carolina, Nebraska, Tennessee and Arizona.  He is considered a tier or behind the top rookie backs, but he’s already shown the traits and abilities to be a successful in an NFL that mostly relies on committee backfields.

Height: 5-11
Weight: 210 pounds
40 time: 4.46 seconds

Ford shared the Bearcats backfield with Gerrid Doaks in 2020 but then became the primary last year when he totaled up 1,539 total yards and 20 touchdowns. He failed to score in just two games and gained 5.1 yards per carry on his 15 rushes in the Cotton Bowl loss against his previous school of Alabama.

Also see: 2022 NFL Draft Central

Table: Jerome Ford, NCAA stats (2018-21) 

Year School Games Runs Yards Avg. TD Catch Yards TD
2018 Alabama 4 7 37 5.3 0 0 0 0
2019 Alabama 4 24 114 4.8 3 2 11 0
2020 Cincinnati 10 73 483  6.6 8 8 51 0
2021 Cincinnati 13 215 1319 6.2 19 21 220 1

 Pros

  • Averaged 6.3 yards per carry in two seasons with Bearcats
  • Classic North-South runner
  • Patient runner that follows blocking
  • Great vision
  • Elite change-of-direction ability
  • Very strong inside rusher
  • Game breaking speed with a second gear
  • Quick feet
  • Intelligent – makes good decisions
  • Excels at short yardage

Cons

  • Not a natural pass catcher
  • Will need to develop pass protection skills
  • Older (23) for a rookie running back
  • May end up as the rushing half of a two-player backfield

Fantasy outlook

The expectation is that Ford goes in the top three rounds, and more likely in the third than the second. If he falls to the fourth, he’ll present a very nice value to his team. Ford’s college career started slowly due to the perpetual logjam of talented rushers at Alabama, and he needed two years to establish himself for Cincinnati, so basing his outlook solely on his college resume is likely incomplete.

Ford was a great rusher for the Bearcats with chunk plays and breakaway speed when he cleared the first tier of the defense. That rushing ability could get him onto the field as a rookie, but his more sparse background as a receiver could work against him ever becoming a three-down back in the NFL.

As with any runner, where he lands will dictate how much fantasy value he’ll create as a rookie.  But Ford could surprise in the right situation. He only totaled 31 receptions in college, but he did catch nearly every pass thrown to him. He’ll be a strong consideration on dynasty teams and a definite training camp watch regardless wherever he lands.

Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell is “front-runner” for Michigan State head-coaching gig

The Buckeyes may be seeing a familiar foe more consistently as Luke Fickell is the frontrunner for the Michigan State HC position.

The Ohio State Buckeyes could be seeing a familiar face more consistently as Luke Fickell is reportedly the frontrunner for the Michigan State head coaching position.

This report comes just hours after Mark Dantonio stepped down as Michigan State’s head football coach. Dantonio has been the Spartans’ coach since 2007 and has recorded six winning seasons in that time.

As for Fickell, he started off his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, left for Akron and returned to eventually become the program’s defensive coordinator.

After the 2016 season, Fickell left to take the head coaching position at Cincinnati, a program he’s completely turned around. After a 4-8 win season in 2017, Fickell has gone 22-5 in the last two seasons.

That type of success gets big-time programs like Michigan State looking, and Fickell may soon be the Spartans coach.

“Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell is the front-runner to replace Mark Dantonio as Michigan State’s football coach, multiple sources with knowledge of the athletic department’s thinking told the Free Press on Tuesday,” Detroit Free Press‘ Chris Solari reported.

This will be quite the development and a testament to how skilled of a coach Fickell is. Trained at Ohio State, it should make the university proud to see his continued success.

The only question if the offer comes, is if Fickell is willing to make the leap to another team with a different view of rivalry with Michigan.