The Cincinnati Bearcats will be severely shorthanded against the No. 22 Navy Midshipmen after a wave of opt-outs and transfer portal departures gutted both sides of the ball. Let’s take a detailed look at the latest Liberty Bowl opt-outs, injury reports, and more.
Cincinnati Faces Navy in Liberty Bowl Without 12+ Key Players
Cincinnati enters Friday’s Liberty Bowl in Memphis as a shell of the team that started the season 7-1 and climbed to No. 17 in the national rankings. At least a dozen players have opted out or entered the transfer portal, leaving the Bearcats (7-5) to face a surging Navy squad with backups at several critical positions.
The most significant absence is quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who accounted for 36 total touchdowns this season — 27 through the air and nine on the ground — while throwing for 2,800 yards. Sorsby, ranked as PFSN’s second-best available quarterback in the transfer portal, is weighing his options between the NFL and another college season.
Brady Lichtenberg, a redshirt senior with just 333 career passing yards, will start in Sorsby’s place. “He’s a pro,” offensive coordinator Brad Glenn said of Lichtenberg ahead of the game. “He has prepared himself being the No. 2 quarterback all year, preparing to be No. 1.”
Redshirt freshman Samaj Jones is also expected to see snaps under center.
The defensive losses are equally devastating. Cincinnati will be without All-Big 12 linebacker Jake Golday, defensive tackle Dontay Corleone, and four of five starters in the secondary, all of whom departed via the portal. The exodus has been linked in part to cornerbacks coach Eddie Hicks leaving for Arkansas.
MORE: Former Indiana Backup Turned Texas Tech Target, Brendan Sorsby is the Unlikely Transfer Portal QB1
Running back Tawee Walker (709 rushing yards) is also out, as is right tackle Ethan Green and defensive tackle Kamari Burns.
Despite the attrition, the Bearcats aren’t without talent. The entire starting offensive line returns, anchored by third-team All-American guard Evan Tengesdahl and center Gavin Gerhardt, who will make his 50th career start.
Wide receiver Cyrus Allen brings motivation as well, with his 12 touchdown receptions one shy of the program’s single-season record set by Marcus Barnett in 2007. Tight end Joe Royer, a potential NFL draft pick, is also expected to play.
“If I was from anywhere else in the world and not Cincinnati, I probably would not be playing in this game,” Royer said Wednesday. “I think just about everybody I talked to said I shouldn’t play. But me and my dad thought it was important for me to play one last time, represent Cincinnati and where I’m from, and play for these coaches and these guys one last time. They helped save my life.”
Royer finished the regular season as PFSN’s 47th ranked tight end, according to our CFB TE Impact metric.
Navy Arrives at Full Strength
The No. 22 Midshipmen (10-2) present a stark contrast. Coach Brian Newberry’s program doesn’t participate in the transfer portal, and Navy has no notable opt-outs heading into the bowl.
“We’ve been fortunate. We don’t deal in the transfer portal world. We don’t take transfers at the academy,” Newberry told reporters.
Quarterback Blake Horvath leads an offense that tops the nation in rushing at 289.3 yards per game.
MORE: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
The dual-threat signal-caller has rushed for 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 1,472 yards and 10 scores through the air, his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season.
“We battled through a lot of adversity this year,” Horvath said Monday ahead of the Bowl game. “In a lot of games we were favored, supposed to win, and we’d get punched in the mouth and bounced back.”
Liberty Bowl G A M E D A Y#GoNavy | #RollGoats pic.twitter.com/r6SrwEFxU7
— Navy Football (@NavyFB) January 2, 2026
Running back Alex Tecza (822 yards, nine touchdowns) complements Horvath in the ground attack.
Navy is also playing on familiar turf. The Midshipmen defeated Memphis 28-17 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Thanksgiving, rallying from a halftime deficit to clinch a share of the AAC regular-season title.
Navy vs. Cincinnati Injury Report
Navy lists linebacker Job Grant, cornerback Irabonoise Oniha, and tight end Cody Howard as questionable. Defensive tackle Landon Robinson is a potential opt-out but has not made an announcement.
Cincinnati has no significant injuries beyond the players already ruled out due to opt-outs and portal entries.
How to Watch the Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl kicks off Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET from Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis. Service academies have won seven consecutive bowl games since 2021, and Navy can match its program record of 11 wins with a victory.
