Cincinnati Football: Five Bearcat Seniors Who Will Be Tough to Replace
While the Cincinnati Bearcats were one of the younger teams in the country, particularly on the defensive end, they did graduate 13 seniors; some of whom will be difficult to replace.
The defense will remain intact with no seniors on that side of the ball.
Cincinnati loses six senior starters on offense and that does not include wide receiver Vidal Hazelton, who tore his ACL the first game of the season.
Next season looks very promising for the Bearcats, but it all begins with replacing five departed seniors on the offensive side of the ball.
Samuel Griffin, OL
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Samuel Griffin was a two year starter at offensive tackle for the Bearcats and was one of three senior anchors along the offensive line.
Along with C.J. Cobb and Jason Kelce, Griffin started every game on the offensive line.
He was one of the best run blockers on team and helped pave the way for Isaiah Pead's 1,000 yard season.
Marcus Barnett, WR
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Marcus 'Bones' Barnett had quite a long and distinguished career at Cincinnati.
After redshirting in 2006, Barnett had the best season of any freshman receiver in the country in 2007 with the exception of Michael Crabtree.
Barnett totaled 862 receiving yards and 62 receptions to go along with 13 touchdowns and was named second-team all-Big East.
After starting every game as a sophomore, Barnett was moved to cornerback last season before returning to the offensive side of the ball for his senior season where he started nearly every game.
Ben Guidugli, TE
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Tight end Ben Guidugli was a three year starter for the Bearcats and a second-team all-Big East performer this past season.
As a preseason second-team All-American by some publications, Guidugli did not have the senior year he was looking for, but leaves Cincinnati as one of the most complete tight ends the school has ever seen.
As a pass-catching tight end, Guidugli was a tough matchup for any team and was one of the Bearcats biggest offensive weapons each of the past three seasons.
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Jason Kelce, OL
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Senior center Jason Kelce was quite possibly the most important player on the entire Bearcats roster.
Kelce came to Cincinnati as a walk-on linebacker and after redshirting in 2006, he saw action in nine games on the offensive line in 2007.
In 2008, he started every game at left guard and last season was the anchor behind one of the best offenses in the country. He started every game at left guard and saw his offense set school records for points and touchdowns.
Kelce was a second-team all-Big East selection last season and repeated the same feat this season despite moving to center to make room for newcomers on the offensive line.
Armon Binns, WR
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After recording only two catches in his first two years as a Bearcat, Armon Binns finished his Bearcat career with one of the best two-year stretches in school history.
Playing along standout Mardy Gilyard last season, Binns recorded 11 touchdowns to tie Gilyard for the team lead. He also had 888 yards and 61 receptions.
This season, Binns was one of the lone bright spots on a Bearcat team that struggled to live up to expectations.
Along with quarterback Zach Collaros, he was a first-team all-Big East performer. Binns totaled 1,101 yards on 75 receptions to go along with 10 touchdowns.
He leaves Cincinnati as one of the most decorated receivers the school has ever seen and will certainly make a living playing on Sundays for the next decade.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
