Cincinnati Football: The Offseason 'To Do' List for the Bearcats

Tyler Barrick/Getty Images

National Signing Day has come and gone, so the offseason has officially begun for the Cincinnati Bearcats and head coach Butch Jones.

The 2011 season was a success and the recruiting class was great, but Cincinnati has a lot of work to do in the offseason to improve next year.

With 11 senior starters graduating, Cincinnati will have a lot to replace, and they will get started on finding those replacements right now.

Here is the offseason "to do" list for the Bearcats.

Find a Running Back

Tyler Barrick/Getty Images

Isaiah Pead is gone, and Cincinnati can now begin the task of replacing him.

Among the leading candidates are two returners, including senior George Winn and sophomore Jameel Poteat.

Winn served as the backup to Pead last year and is the leading candidate.

Poteat was the Bearcats' biggest recruit in 2011 and saw limited playing time last year as a true freshman. He certainly has the most potential in the bunch.

Incoming recruit Deionte Buckley will also be in the mix. Buckley is already enrolled at Cincinnati and is one of the biggest names in this year's recruiting class.

Allow Munchie to Grow

Tyler Barrick/Getty Images

Junior quarterback Munchie Legaux will begin his first season as the Bearcats' starter, and while he did fill in admirably for Zach Collaros last season, he will be the key to the Cincinnati offense in 2012.

Legaux's development and growth over the spring and summer months will go a long way toward determining how well Cincinnati plays in the fall.

He has all the tools to be a star in the Big East. Legaux can beat opponents with his arms and legs. He has a chance to wreak havoc on the Big East for the next two years.

Develop the Freshmen

With a recruiting class of 30 freshmen, it is clear that a lot of them will be counted on heavily this coming season.

Of those 30, nine have already enrolled early for classes.

That is always a positive, as these players will have a chance to play in the spring game and develop at a much quicker pace.

Some of these freshmen will likely see the field immediately next season, and it is imperative that they develop during the offseason.

Replace the Linemen

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Cincinnati will have to replace three offensive linemen and both defensive tackles next season.

Among those who graduated is three-year starter, Big East co-Defensive Player of the Year and Second-Team All-American Derek Wolfe.

Fellow defensive tackle and NFL combine invite John Hughes is gone as well.

On the offensive side of the ball, Randy Martinez, Alex Hoffman and Evan Davis have all moved on.

Last year's reserves will have to step up and fill those spots. Junior Jordan Stepp and sophomore Cameron Beard will have a chance to step in along the defensive line. Fifth-year senior Brandon Mills, who plays end, could also slide over to the middle. 

On offense, Sean Hooey and Andre Cureton are the leading candidates to fill the starting roles.

Find Some Leadership

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Not many teams lose as much leadership in a season as Cincinnati did last year.

Zach Collaros, Isaiah Pead, Derek Wolfe, Alex Hoffman and J.K. Schaffer are all gone.

Those players were not only around the program for 4-5 years, but were also starters for the better part of three seasons. Their leadership, particularly that of Collaros on offense and Schaffer on defense, will be hard to replace.

Among the leading candidates to fill the void are sixth-year safety Drew Frey and three fifth-year defensive ends: Walter Stewart, Dan Giordano and Brandon Mills.

The offensive side of the ball will be looking for some leadership from the junior class, as Kenbrell Thompkins is likely to be the only senior starter on that side of the ball.