Pressure Cooker: Seven Cincinnati Bearcats Under the Most Pressure in 2022

Here are seven players that need to step up this season.

Alex Frank | Jun 14, 2022

Pressure Cooker: Seven Cincinnati Bearcats Under the Most Pressure in 2022 /

Plenty of familiar faces will take on larger roles for the Bearcats this season.

With the loss of nine NFL draft picks from last year's College Football Playoff roster, the Bearcats are reloading with many players who have been with the program for several years.

Here are the seven players facing the most pressure heading into the 2022 season.

7. Mason Fletcher - Punter

Cincinnati Bearcats punter Mason Fletcher (31) crosses the field between drills during a spring practice at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, March 24, 2022. Cincinnati Bearcats Spring Practice — © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The sophomore punter had an admirable first season with the red and black, pinning nearly 40 percent of his punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. It's strange to think a punter is under pressure heading into a season, but Fletcher needs to show he can maintain his success for more than just one season.

6. Justin Harris - Cornerback

Harris should finally see an expanded role at cornerback this season after riding the bench behind Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant. Replacing those guys will be no easy task. There's plenty of pressure on the former three-star recruit.

5. Ja'von Hicks - Safety
After years of being overshadowed by James Wiggins, Bryan Cook, Gardner and Bryant, this is now Hicks's secondary to reign. When the spotlight was on him in 2019, Hicks snared five interceptions and recovered four fumbles. While the pressure may be on him leading a new-look secondary, he's delivered in the spotlight before and should be able to do it on a full-time basis this season.

4. Deshawn Pace - Linebacker

There's so much to like about the homegrown linebacker, and he is the team's leading returning tackler from 2021. The question is: Can he continue to ascend with more of the spotlight on him in 2022?

3. Charles McClelland - Running Back
McClelland stayed healthy last year, after suffering season-ending injuries the previous two seasons. He'll need to stay healthy again this season to help an unproven running back room. When he is healthy, though, he adds a lot of versatility at running back both as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

2. Ben Bryant - Quarterback
No secrets here. He's co-headlining the most important position battle on this team: quarterback. He has a full season's worth of starting experience as a quarterback at the collegiate level, but will that help him win the Bearcats' starting job? His stats from 2021, and in his one start with the Bearcats in 2019, suggest that he may have a low ceiling. The pressure on him will only increase to overcome that ceiling and elevate the Bearcats' offense.

1. Lorenz Metz - Offensive Lineman

It feels like Metz has been maligned for the last three years, struggling against elite pass rushers in big games. Metz was named preseason first-team all-AAC last week by Athlon Sports, so the potential is there. The question is: Can he perform at a level that doesn't expose a weak link on a stout Bearcats offensive line?

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