# 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

The 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats played their home games at Nippert Stadium and competed as members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Luke Fickell.
Coming off a 9–1 season and a Peach Bowl appearance in 2020, Cincinnati began the 2021 season ranked eight in the preseason AP Poll. The team secured a signature non-conference win by defeating then-No. 9 Notre Dame on the road, 24–13, in the fourth game of the year. The Bearcats capped an undefeated regular season by defeating Houston in the American Conference championship game. In the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season, in which the Bearcats were the last remaining undefeated team, Cincinnati was ranked No. 4, earning them a spot in the national semi-final game to be played at the Cotton Bowl. This marked the first time a team from one of the Group of Five conferences was selected for a playoff spot. In that game, Cincinnati lost to first-seeded Alabama, 27–6, ending Cincinnati's season with a 13–1 record, and they were ranked fourth in the final polls. These marked the most wins and highest poll finish in Cincinnati program history.
Cincinnati's offense was led by quarterback Desmond Ridder, who led the AAC in passer efficiency rating and was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year. Ridder threw for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season. Running back Jerome Ford led the conference in rushing with 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns. Three Bearcat offensive lineman were named to the first team All-Conference: Lorenz Metz, Dylan O’Quinn, and Jake Renfro. On defense, the team was led by consensus All-American and AAC Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Sauce Gardner. Cornerback Coby Bryant was also named to the first-team All-Conference and several All-America teams, and was the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award. Linebacker Joel Dublanko led the team in tackles, and defensive lineman Curtis Brooks led the conference in sacks. Head coach Luke Fickell was the recipient of several national and the American Conference's Coach of the Year awards. Nine Cincinnati players were selected in the 2022 NFL draft, including fourth-overall pick Sauce Gardner.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

After the 2020 season, Marcus Freeman was announced as the defensive coordinator for Notre Dame. Mike Tressel was hired to replace Freeman as defensive coordinator, returning Tressel to Cincinnati where he had coached from 2004 to 2006.
Darren Paige was named the new running backs coach after the departure of Dan Enos.

### Players
#### Transfers

Outgoing
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | New School |
| Jayshon Jackson | WR | 5' 10" | 175 | Senior | Chicago, IL | Ball State |
| Zach Hummell | OL | 6' 2" | 285 | Sophomore | Hilliard, OH | Miami (OH) |
| Jakari Robinson | C | 6' 2" | 308 | Senior | Talladega, AL | Memphis |
| Ben Bryant | QB | 6' 3" | 218 | Junior | La Grange, IL | Eastern Michigan |
| Michael Lindauer | QB | 6' 3" | 218 | Sophomore | Evansville, IN | Southern Illinois |
| Dorian Holloway | LB | 6' 3" | 215 | Sophomore | Columbus, OH | Youngstown State |
| Steven Hawthorne | DE | 6' 4" | 227 | Sophomore | Chicago, IL | Central State |
| Kobe McAllister | OL | 6' 6" | 293 | Sophomore | Ringgold, GA | Chattanooga |
Incoming
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Prev. School |
| Jowon Briggs | DT | 6' 2" | 295 | Sophomore | Cincinnati, OH | Virginia |
| Devin Hightower | LB | 6' 1" | 225 | Sophomore | Akron, OH | Michigan State |
| James Tunstall | OT | 6' 6" | 329 | Junior | Indian Head, MD | Stony Brook |

#### Recruits

College recruiting information (2021) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Dontay Corleone DT | Cincinnati, Ohio | Colerain High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | Oct 19, 2019 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Brady Lichtenberg QB | Toledo, Ohio | St. John's Jesuit High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Dec 16, 2019 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Myles Montgomery RB | Neptune Beach, Florida | Duncan U. Fletcher High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Mar 6, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Luke Collinsworth OT | Brookville, Indiana | East Central High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | Apr 3, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jalen Monrrow DE | Lafayette, Indiana | Jefferson High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 258 lb (117 kg) | Apr 7, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Iesa Jarmon CB | Cincinnati, Ohio | La Salle High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Apr 10, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Leroy Bowers S | Cincinnati, Ohio | Princeton High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Apr 12, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Armorion Smith S | Ecorse, Michigan | River Rouge High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Apr 17, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Mao Glynn OG | Cincinnati, Ohio | Walnut Hills High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Apr 18, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Will Pauling WR | Flossmoor, Illinois | Homewood-Flossmoor High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Apr 23, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Landon Fickell OG | Cincinnati, Ohio | Archbishop Moeller High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | Apr 24, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jack Dingle OLB | Louisville, Kentucky | Trinity High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Apr 25, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Mason Fletcher P | Melbourne, Australia | ProKick Australia | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | N/A | May 14, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Malik Rainey ATH | Bolingbrook, Illinois | Bolingbrook High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | May 15, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Caleb Schmitz ATH | Lititz, Pennsylvania | Warwick High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | May 22, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jah-mal Williams DE | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Cardinal Gibbons High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Aug 12, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Bryon Threats ATH | Dublin, Ohio | Dublin Coffman High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Aug 14, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Chamon Metayer TE | Miami, Florida | North Miami High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Sep 26, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Christian Lowery K | Kennesaw, Georgia | Harrison High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 156 lb (71 kg) | Oct 13, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Jonah Lytle CB | Canton, Ohio | McKinley High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Oct 19, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Cameron Junior OLB | Middletown, Ohio | Middletown High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Oct 23, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Zeiqui Lawton DE | Charleston, West Virginia | South Charleston High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Nov 7, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Isiah Cox ATH | Alcoa, Tennessee | Alcoa High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Nov 8, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Drew Donley WR | Frisco, Texas | Lebanon Trail High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Dec 14, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Robert Jackson DT | Warminster, Pennsylvania | Archbishop Wood High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Dec 15, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 34 247Sports: 44 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2021 Cincinnati Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 6, 2021. "2021 Players Commitments – Cincinnati". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 6, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 6, 2021. "2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team". 247sports.com. Retrieved January 6, 2021. |||||||

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Walter Camp Award | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. |
| Walter Camp Award | Myjai Sanders | DE | Sr. |
| Lott Impact Trophy | Coby Bryant | CB | GS |
| Dodd Trophy | Luke Fickell | | |
| Maxwell Award | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |
| Bednarik Award | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. |
| Bednarik Award | Myjai Sanders | DE | Sr. |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |
| Mackey Award | Josh Whyle | TE | Jr. |
| Thorpe Award | Coby Bryant | CB | GS |
| Thorpe Award | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. |
| Nagurski Trophy | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. |
| Nagurski Trophy | Myjai Sanders | DE | Sr. |
| Walter Camp Award | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |
| Manning Award | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |

### American Athletic Conference preseason media poll

The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021. Cincinnati, who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Cincinnati | 262 (22) |
| 2 | UCF | 241 (2) |
| 3 | SMU | 188 |
| 4 | Houston | 181 |
| 5 | Memphis | 168 |
| 6 | Tulsa | 153 |
| 7 | Tulane | 132 |
| т-8 | East Carolina | 85 |
| т-8 | Navy | 85 |
| 10 | Temple | 46 |
| 11 | South Florida | 43 |

## Schedule

The Bearcats' 2021 schedule consists of six home games and six away games. Cincinnati hosted two of its four non-conference games; Miami (OH) from the Mid-American Conference for their annual Victory Bell game and Murray State from the Ohio Valley Conference. They travelled to Indiana of the Big Ten Conference, and to Notre Dame in their first meeting against former Bearcats head coach Brian Kelly, winning both contests.
With the departure of UConn before the 2020 season, the American eliminated divisions for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Bearcats 2021 schedule included eight conference games – four home games and four road games. Cincinnati hosted Temple, UCF, Tulsa and SMU. They traveled to Navy, Tulane, South Florida, and East Carolina.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH)* | No. 8 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH (Victory Bell) | ESPN+ | W 49–14 | 37,978 |
| September 11 | 3:30 p.m. | Murray State* | No. 7 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPN+ | W 42–7 | 33,498 |
| September 18 | 12:00 p.m. | at Indiana* | No. 8 | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | ESPN | W 38–24 | 52,656 |
| October 2 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 9 Notre Dame* | No. 7 | Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, IN | NBC | W 24–13 | 77,622 |
| October 8 | 7:00 p.m. | Temple | No. 5 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPN | W 52–3 | 37,978 |
| October 16 | 12:00 p.m. | UCF | No. 3 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH (rivalry) | ABC | W 56–21 | 37,978 |
| October 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Navy | No. 2 | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | ESPN2 | W 27–20 | 32,004 |
| October 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at Tulane | No. 2 | Yulman StadiumNew Orleans, LA | ESPN2 | W 31–12 | 17,012 |
| November 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Tulsa | No. 6 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH (College GameDay) | ESPN2 | W 28–20 | 37,978 |
| November 12 | 6:00 p.m. | at South Florida | No. 5 | Raymond James StadiumTampa, FL | ESPN2 | W 45–28 | 30,780 |
| November 20 | 3:30 p.m. | SMU | No. 5 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPN | W 48–14 | 37,978 |
| November 26 | 3:30 p.m. | at East Carolina | No. 4 | Dowdy-Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | ABC | W 35–13 | 38,014 |
| December 4 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 21 Houston | No. 4 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH (AAC Championship Game) | ABC | W 35–20 | 37,978 |
| December 31 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Alabama* | No. 4 | AT&T StadiumArlington, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic–CFP Semifinal) | ESPN | L 6–27 | 76,313 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) – Released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
Schedule Source:

## Personnel
### Depth chart

Defense :
* NK
* Arquon Bush
* Taj Ward
* FS
* Bryan Cook
* Jacob Dingle
| WLB | MLB | SLB |
| Darrian Beavers | Joel Dublanko | Ty Van Fossen |
| Jaheim Thomas | Wilson Huber | Deshawn Pace |
| Daved Jones Jr. | | |
* SS
* Ja'von Hicks
* Will Adams
* CB
* Coby Bryant
* Todd Bumphis
| DE | NT | DE |
| Myjai Sanders | Curtis Brooks | Malik Vann |
| Jabari Taylor | Marcus Brown | Jowon Briggs |
| | Eric Phillips | |
* CB
* Sauce Gardner
* Ja'Quan Sheppard
Offense :
* WR
* Michael Young Jr.
* Tre Tucker
* Will Pauling
* WR
* Alec Pierce
* Jordan Jones
* Blue Smith
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| John Williams OR James Tunstall | Jeremy Cooper | Jake Renfro | Vincent McConnell | Dylan O'Quinn |
| | Colin Woodside | Gavin Gerhardt | Lorenz Metz | Cam Jones |
| | Cody Lamb | | | |
* TE
* Josh Whyle OR Leonard Taylor
* WR
* Tyler Scott
* Jadon Thompson
* Chris Scott
* QB
* Desmond Ridder
* Evan Prater
* RB
* Jerome Ford
* Charles McClelland OR Ryan Montgomery

## Game summaries
### Miami (OH)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| RedHawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| • No. 8 Bearcats | 21 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 49 |
| Statistics | MIA | CIN |
| First downs | 17 | 27 |
| Total yards | 278 | 542 |
| Rushing yards | 169 | 247 |
| Passing yards | 109 | 295 |
| Time of possession | 34:15 | 25:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| MIA | Passing | AJ Mayer | 9/28, 109 yards |
| MIA | Rushing | Keyon Mozee | 15 carries, 80 yards |
| MIA | Receiving | Mac Hippenhammer | 3 receptions, 64 yards |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 20/25, 295 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 12 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 1 reception, 81 yards, 1 TD |

### Murray State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Racers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • No. 7 Bearcats | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 42 |
| Statistics | MUR | CIN |
| First downs | 15 | 17 |
| Total yards | 242 | 391 |
| Rushing yards | 93 | 130 |
| Passing yards | 149 | 261 |
| Time of possession | 34:48 | 25:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| MUR | Passing | Preston Rice | 17/29, 149 yards, 3 INT |
| MUR | Rushing | Damonta Witherspoon | 16 carries, 52 yards |
| MUR | Receiving | Deshun Britten | 5 receptions, 58 yards |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 14/22, 243 yards, 2 TD |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 18 carries, 113 yards, 3 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 4 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD |

### At Indiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 8 Bearcats | 0 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 38 |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Statistics | CIN | IND |
| First downs | 20 | 20 |
| Total yards | 328 | 376 |
| Rushing yards | 118 | 152 |
| Passing yards | 210 | 224 |
| Time of possession | 29:43 | 29:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 20/36, 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 20 carries, 66 yards, 2 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Alec Pierce | 5 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD |
| IND | Passing | Michael Penix Jr. | 17/40, 224 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| IND | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 21 carries, 52 yards |
| IND | Receiving | D.J. Matthews | 5 receptions, 120 yards |

### At No. 9 Notre Dame

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 7 Bearcats | 0 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 9 Fighting Irish | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Statistics | CIN | ND |
| First downs | 16 | 19 |
| Total yards | 390 | 341 |
| Rushing yards | 93 | 84 |
| Passing yards | 297 | 257 |
| Time of possession | 28:10 | 31:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 19/32, 297 yards, 2 TD |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 17 carries, 71 yards |
| CIN | Receiving | Alec Pierce | 6 receptions, 144 yards |
| ND | Passing | Drew Pyne | 9/22, 143 yards, 1 TD |
| ND | Rushing | Kyren Williams | 13 carries, 48 yards, 1 TD |
| ND | Receiving | Michael Mayer | 8 receptions, 93 yards |

### Temple

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • No. 5 Bearcats | 10 | 7 | 28 | 7 | 52 |
| Statistics | TEM | CIN |
| First downs | 14 | 23 |
| Total yards | 235 | 542 |
| Rushing yards | 85 | 279 |
| Passing yards | 150 | 263 |
| Time of possession | 31:59 | 28:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| TEM | Passing | D'Wan Mathis | 16/27, 120 yards, 1 INT |
| TEM | Rushing | Justin Lynch | 3 carries, 29 yards |
| TEM | Receiving | Jose Barbon | 5 receptions, 45 yards |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 22/30, 259 yards, 3 TD |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 15 carries, 149 yards, 2 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Alec Pierce | 6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD |

### UCF

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Knights | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| • No. 3 Bearcats | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
| Statistics | UCF | CIN |
| First downs | 14 | 23 |
| Total yards | 296 | 476 |
| Rushing yards | 155 | 336 |
| Passing yards | 141 | 140 |
| Time of possession | 32:48 | 27:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UCF | Passing | Mikey Keene | 16/27, 141 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| UCF | Rushing | Ryan O'Keefe | 1 carries, 51 yards |
| UCF | Receiving | Ryan O'Keefe | 7 receptions, 60 yards |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 13/23, 140 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 20 carries, 190 yards, 4 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Leonard Taylor | 4 receptions, 47 yards |

### At Navy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 2 Bearcats | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
| Midshipmen | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Statistics | CIN | NAVY |
| First downs | 14 | 22 |
| Total yards | 271 | 308 |
| Rushing yards | 95 | 192 |
| Passing yards | 176 | 116 |
| Time of possession | 20:33 | 39:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 18/30, 176 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 15 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Josh Whyle | 4 receptions, 60 yards, 2 TD |
| NAVY | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 11/16, 116 yards, 1 INT |
| NAVY | Rushing | Isaac Ruoss | 19 carries, 80 yards |
| NAVY | Receiving | Kai Puailoa-Rojas | 2 receptions, 47 yards |

### At Tulane

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 2 Bearcats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Green Wave | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Statistics | CIN | TULN |
| First downs | 18 | 17 |
| Total yards | 351 | 280 |
| Rushing yards | 124 | 187 |
| Passing yards | 227 | 93 |
| Time of possession | 28:12 | 31:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/27, 227 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 18 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Josh Whyle | 4 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD |
| TULN | Passing | Kai Horton | 7/16, 79 yards, 2 INT |
| TULN | Rushing | Tyjae Spears | 19 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD |
| TULN | Receiving | Jha'Quan Jackson | 3 receptions, 34 yards |

### Tulsa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Hurricane | 0 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 20 |
| • No. 6 Bearcats | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Statistics | TLSA | CIN |
| First downs | 26 | 18 |
| Total yards | 446 | 390 |
| Rushing yards | 297 | 116 |
| Passing yards | 149 | 274 |
| Time of possession | 34:16 | 25:44 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| TLSA | Passing | Davis Brin | 17/26, 149 yards, 1 TD |
| TLSA | Rushing | Shamari Brooks | 25 carries, 132 yards, 1 TD |
| TLSA | Receiving | Josh Johnson | 7 receptions, 65 yards |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 15/23, 274 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| CIN | Rushing | Desmond Ridder | 12 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Alec Pierce | 5 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD |

### At South Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 5 Bearcats | 7 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Bulls | 7 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Statistics | CIN | USF |
| First downs | 30 | 21 |
| Total yards | 506 | 346 |
| Rushing yards | 202 | 101 |
| Passing yards | 304 | 245 |
| Time of possession | 32:30 | 27:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 31/39, 304 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| CIN | Rushing | Ryan Montgomery | 6 carries, 72 yards, 2 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Josh Whyle | 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD |
| USF | Passing | Timmy McClain | 16/30, 245 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| USF | Rushing | Jaren Mangham | 16 carries, 53 yards, 2 TD |
| USF | Receiving | Jimmy Horn Jr. | 5 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD |

### SMU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mustangs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| • No. 5 Bearcats | 14 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 48 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| CIN –9.5 | 65.5 |
| Statistics | SMU | CIN |
| First downs | 15 | 24 |
| Total yards | 199 | 544 |
| Rushing yards | 133 | 249 |
| Passing yards | 66 | 295 |
| Time of possession | 24:39 | 35:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SMU | Passing | Tanner Mordecai | 15/26, 66 yards, 1 TD |
| SMU | Rushing | Ulysses Bentley IV | 11 carries, 68 yards |
| SMU | Receiving | Rashee Rice | 7 receptions, 21 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/23, 274 yards, 3 TD |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 19 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Tre Tucker | 7 receptions, 114 yards |

### At East Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 4 Bearcats | 0 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Pirates | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Statistics | CIN | ECU |
| First downs | 20 | 19 |
| Total yards | 444 | 282 |
| Rushing yards | 143 | 54 |
| Passing yards | 301 | 228 |
| Time of possession | 27:42 | 32:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/28, 301 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 20 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Alec Pierce | 8 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD |
| ECU | Passing | Holton Ahlers | 19/38, 228 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| ECU | Rushing | Keaton Mitchell | 17 carries, 55 yards |
| ECU | Receiving | Tyler Snead | 6 receptions, 91 yards |

### No. 21 Houston (AAC Championship game)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Cougars | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| • No. 4 Bearcats | 14 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 35 |
| Statistics | HOU | CIN |
| First downs | 22 | 14 |
| Total yards | 336 | 400 |
| Rushing yards | 86 | 210 |
| Passing yards | 250 | 190 |
| Time of possession | 40:19 | 19:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| HOU | Passing | Clayton Tune | 17/26, 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| HOU | Rushing | Alton McCaskill | 13 carries, 39 yards |
| HOU | Receiving | Tank Dell | 9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 11/17, 190 yards, 3 TD |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 18 carries, 187 yards, 2 TD |
| CIN | Receiving | Alec Pierce | 2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD |

### Vs. No. 1 Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 4 Bearcats | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| • No. 1 Crimson Tide | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| Statistics | CIN | ALA |
| First downs | 13 | 27 |
| Total yards | 218 | 482 |
| Rushing yards | 74 | 301 |
| Passing yards | 144 | 181 |
| Time of possession | 26:19 | 33:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/32 144 yards |
| CIN | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 15 rushes, 77 yards |
| CIN | Receiving | Michael Young Jr. | 4 receptions, 55 yards |
| ALA | Passing | Bryce Young | 17/28, 181 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| ALA | Rushing | Brian Robinson Jr. | 26 rushes, 204 yards |
| ALA | Receiving | Ja'Corey Brooks | 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 (3) | 4 |
| Coaches | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 (3) | 4 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Not released |

## After the season
### Awards and AAC honors

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Date Awarded |
| Deshawn Pace | Defensive Player of the Week | September 20, 2021 |
| Desmond Ridder | Offensive Player of the Week | October 4, 2021 |
| Jerome Ford | Offensive Player of the Week | October 11, 2021 |
| Jerome Ford (2) | Offensive Player of the Week | October 18, 2021 |
| Desmond Ridder (2) | Offensive Player of the Week | November 22, 2021 |
| Sauce Gardner | Defensive Player of the Week | November 29, 2021 |
American Athletic Conference Individual Awards :
| Player | Award |
| Desmond Ridder | AAC Offensive Player of the Year |
| Sauce Gardner* | AAC Defensive Player of the Year |
| Luke Fickell | AAC Coach of the Year |
Individual Yearly Awards :
| Player | Award |
| Luke Fickell | Home Depot Coach of the Year Award |
| Luke Fickell | AFCA Regional Coach of the Year |
| Luke Fickell | Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year |
| Luke Fickell | Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year |
| Luke Fickell | AFCA Coach of the Year |
| Luke Fickell | Bear Bryant Award |
| Coby Bryant | Jim Thorpe Award |
All-AAC :
| Player | Position | Team |
| Dylan O’Quinn | OT | 1 |
| Lorenz Metz | OG | 1 |
| Jake Renfro | C | 1 |
| Desmond Ridder | QB | 1 |
| Jerome Ford | RB | 1 |
| Curtis Brooks | DL | 1 |
| Myjai Sanders* | DL | 1 |
| Darrian Beavers | LB | 1 |
| Joel Dublanko | LB | 1 |
| Sauce Gardner* | CB | 1 |
| Coby Bryant | CB | 1 |
| Bryan Cook | S | 1 |
| Alec Pierce | WR | 2 |
| Marcus Brown | DL | Hon. |
| Deshawn Pace | LB | Hon. |
| Josh Whyle | TE | Hon. |
| Reference: * Denotes Unanimous Selection |||

### All-Americans

NCAA Recognized All-American Honors :
| Player | AFCA | AP | FWAA | TSN | WCFF | Designation |
| Coby Bryant | 1st | 2nd | | 2nd | 1st | |
| Sauce Gardner | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | Consensus |
| The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections. |
Other All-American Honors :
| Player | Athletic | Athlon | BR | CBS Sports | CFN | ESPN | FOX Sports | Phil Steele | SI | USA Today |
| Coby Bryant | | | | 2nd | | | | | | 2nd |
| Sauce Gardner | 1st | | | 1st | | 1st | | | | 1st |

### NFL draft

The NFL Draft was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 28–30, 2022. The nine picks are a school record and were the third most of any school in this year's draft.
Bearcats picked in the 2022 NFL Draft:
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Team |
| 1 | 4 | Sauce Gardner | CB | New York Jets |
| 2 | 53 | Alec Pierce | WR | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2 | 62 | Bryan Cook | S | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 3 | 74 | Desmond Ridder | QB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 3 | 100 | Myjai Sanders | DE | Arizona Cardinals |
| 4 | 109 | Coby Bryant | CB | Seattle Seahawks |
| 5 | 156 | Jerome Ford | RB | Cleveland Browns |
| 6 | 182 | Darrian Beavers | LB | New York Giants |
| 6 | 216 | Curtis Brooks | DT | Indianapolis Colts |