A pair of Bearcats were named to the 2016 Maxwell Award watch list, with quarterback Gunner Kiel and running back Mike Boone among the group of 90 preseason contenders.
It remains an uncertainty if Kiel will actually be the week one starter for UC, but the national perception is that he will be and that he will continue to be a prolific passer. Last season, although injuries slowed him, Kiel throw for 2,777 yards and 19 touchdowns on 65.2 percent passing, while being intercepted 11 times. He threw for 3,254 yards and 31 scores in 2014, his first season with the Bearcats after transferring from Notre Dame.