Grading The Cats: Time to Empty Depth Chart

Cincinnati needs to see what it has in unseen players up and down the roster.

CINCINNATI — UC football posted a sixth-straight loss 45-13 at the hands of Oklahoma State, this past weekend in a game where no player graded in the 80s on Pro Football Focus. 

Offensively, Braden Smith (75.4 overall) led all offensive players following a two-catch, 24-yard performance.

Among the top five offensive players, Luke Kandra (75.1) showed why he's the best offensive lineman on the team and is making a strong case to play at the next level either this coming year or in 2025. He was one of four UC offensive linemen to grade 65 or better (Gavin Gerhardt: 68.5, Trevor Radosevich: 67.5, John Williams: 65.1).

The blocking was nowhere close to a problem on Saturday as the team ran for 277 yards—with the line allowing just six pressures and no sacks in pass protection. Alas, Emory Jones (66.1 grade) turned in another dispiriting performance. It's time to make a move at that position and Brady Lichtenberg (71 grade on 23 snaps) is next on the depth chart.

He needs to get a chance to run a fully tailored game plan to his skill set as the team sits 2-6 overall with a 3.1% chance of making a bowl game.

It's time to empty the depth chart and see who can play when the lights brighten.

That happened a little bit more on defense as 26 players logged a snap led by the best game of his season from defensive tackle Jalen Hunt (79.9). Ryan Mullaney (75.5) also needs more snaps the rest of the year as he narrowly eclipsed Dontay Corleone (75.1), Justin Wodtly (73.5), and Taj Ward (72.1) as players with 70-plus grades.

The safeties mostly played well on Saturday, but the cornerback position is still an unmitigated disaster. Jordan Young (67.4) played alright in what was arguably his best game as a Bearcat, but UC's three-lowest graded players were all corners, including starter Justin Harris with a 36.9 result (lowest grade since his first game at UC).

He allowed two catches on two targets for 96 yards in the 45-13 loss. UC now owns the seventh-worst pass coverage grade in the country (61.4).

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