Cincinnati’s next head coach will be Louisville veteran Scott Satterfield
The University of Cincinnati has found its next head football coach.
Sources told The Enquirer on Monday that Cincinnati will hire Louisville’s Scott Satterfield as the 43rd head coach in program history.
Satterfield led the Cardinals to a 7-5 record this season. Cincinnati is scheduled to face Louisville in the inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 17 at Fenway Park in Boston.
Satterfield is 72-40 in nine seasons as a head coach, including a 25-24 mark in four seasons at the helm of the Cardinals program. The 49-year-old Hillsborough, North Carolina, native went 47-16 in five seasons at Appalachian State.
Satterfield replaces Luke Fickell, the winningest coach in the history of the Cincinnati program. Fickell left to take the vacancy at Wisconsin on Nov. 27 after leading the Bearcats to a 57-18 record in six seasons.
– Keith Jenkins, The Cincinnati Enquirer
Clemson QB Uiagalelei to enter portal
CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will enter the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.
A junior who has started every game for the past two seasons, he was replaced during the first quarter of Saturday’s 39-10 victory against North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game played at Bank of America Stadium. Freshman Cade Klubnik took over after the Tigers’ first two possessions and led them to the win by completing 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik also ran for a score.
Coach Dabo Swinney named Klubnik the starter for the Dec. 30 Orange Bowl game against Tennessee at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Uiagalelei ranks 10th in the ACC in passing efficiency, with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 61.8% of his passes for 2,500 yards.
Through the first seven games, he had 17 TDs and two interceptions. Since then, he’s had five TDs and five picks.
– Todd Shanesy, The Greenville News
QB Graham Mertz announces transfer plans
MADISON, Wis. – The Graham Mertz era is over, at least at Wisconsin. Mertz announced on Twitter on Sunday that he plans to enter the transfer portal, which opened on Monday.
The announcement came as new UW coach Luke Fickell was on a Zoom call with reporters for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 27 in Phoenix. “Had lots of conversations with Graham,” said Fickell, who was driving to Chicago during the call. “Had some conversations with his family as well. It is a tough situation and he knows that. … Encouraged him to stick around here to wait and see how the changes go. But I think at some point in time some of those guys feel like that’s something they need to do.”
Mertz is in his fourth year in the program. He has started 32 games and has played under three offensive coordinators. He entered the season having completed 60.8% of his attempts for 3,756 yards, with 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. His completion rate this season slipped to 57.3% but he has passed for 2,130 yards, with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
– Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jaxon Smith-Njigba to forgo Ohio State playoff game for draft
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has missed most of this season with a hamstring injury, will miss the College Football Playoff and start preparing for the NFL draft, the school announced.
The No. 4 seed Buckeyes will face No. 1 Georgia in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 and then possibly play in the national championship game Jan. 9.
Smith-Njigba led Ohio State last season 1,606 yards and added nine touchdowns. He was expected to be one of the country’s top receivers but injured his hamstring early in the team’s season-opening win over Notre Dame. Smith-Njigba finishes the season with five catches for 43 yards.
– Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Florida QB Richardson turning pro
The Anthony Richardson era as Florida’s quarterback came to an end Monday when he declared for the NFL draft following his redshirt sophomore season, his first year as the starter. It’s unclear whether Richardson will play in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17 against Oregon State.
Richardson started all 12 games for the Gators, leading Florida to a 6-6 record. He opened the season with a splash, passing for 168 yards and rushing for 106 yards and three TDs to lead Florida to a 29-26 upset of Utah.
After that Richardson remained inconsistent, passing for 2,549 yards with 17 TDs to nine interceptions, while rushing for 654 yards and nine TDs. However, that included two 400yard passing games in losses.
– Kevin Brockway, The Gainesville Sun