Former Louisville 3-Star Linebacker Kameron Wilson will join the Cincinnati Bearkats next season in a move many following Wilson expected. Wilson played for Cincinnati Head Coach Scott Satterfield while he was coaching at Louisville. What did surprise everyone was how long Wilson took to announce his decision. Wilson had previously announced his on December 5th.
Recruitment OPEN. pic.twitter.com/uKw7asi3pU
— Kameron Wilson (@Kameron00074791) December 5, 2023
Despite being in the portal, Wilson was reposting and supporting his former squad as late as Wednesday night when the Cardinals were taking on USC in the Direct TV Holiday Bowl.
Cincinnati Just Got a Huge Potential Upgrade
Wilson will come into the LB room as the highest ranked player in the position according to On3 Sports. Cincinnati also recruited a couple of three-star linebackers to help boost the defense. This season, Wilson didn’t post a lot of stats, however, the potential is clearly there in his limited production. In total, he had 14 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery.
The sacks and potential to get turnovers may be what made Wilson the most attractive. Last season, the Bearkats totaled only 11 takeaways, and finished 106th in sack rate only getting to the QB 4.72% of the time.
It’s possible that Wilson’s play style didn’t fit the current scheme, suggesting that returning back to Coach Satterwhite may have been more scheme related as opposed to NIL or other opportunities.
Boosting the Defense
Cincinnati ranked 103rd in scoring defense last season giving up more than 31 points per game. They also ranked 90th in red zone defense, 129th in 4th down defense, and 96th in opponents yards per game. In other words, the Bearkats really need to boost their defense if they hope to be more competitive in the Big 12 next season.
To this point, it has been very obvious that Coach Satterwhite is focusing primarily in strengthening that part of the game. Of the 31 players who have been added via high school recruiting or the transfer portal, 16 have been on the defensive side of the ball with 12 offensive players, 2 ‘athletes’ and a long snapper.
The Bearkats will continue to work hard in the transfer portal, particularly along the defensive line which is considered one of the toughest positions to boost through the portal, but an essential need for this team. The Bearkats were dead last in the P5 in opponents yards per rush giving up 5.5 yards per carry. It’s tough to win games when a team can count on picking up more than five yards per rush.