Darrian Beavers could have never envisioned all of this.
After playing two seasons at the University of Connecticut, Beavers, a Cincinnati native and former standout athlete at Colerain High School, transferred back home to the University of Cincinnati in spring 2019.
Beavers' plan was to join a program that would help him reach his full potential as a player. Two and half years later, Beavers is one of the main cogs in the Bearcats' well-oiled machine and one of the top linebackers in the country,
"It's unbelievable," Beavers told The Enquirer. "I didn't envision our team success. I didn't envision my individual success. I literally came back just hoping for a chance to play real football, play for a team that was on the rise. I didn't expect to be No. 2 in the nation (Associated Press/Coaches polls). I didn't expect to push for a playoff. None of this was on my mind in the moment."
More:Darrian Beavers has developed into versatile leader for Cincinnati's defense
Beavers was announced Monday as one of 16 semifinalists for the 2021 Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's best linebacker.
"I came out of high school as a two star (prospect), or to some people, no stars," Beavers said. "I never thought that I would be one of the best linebackers in the nation. I didn't even know what position I was going to play coming out of high school. I didn't know a thing. I just went to a college that felt like it was the best opportunity for me. It was the biggest offer I got. I really didn't have a lot of offers."
Beavers was so grateful to be at Cincinnati, he approached head coach Luke Fickell during fall camp prior to last season about only playing four games as a senior in 2020. That would have allowed Beavers to redshirt, continue to develop under Fickell and the UC coaching staff and play another year.
"He knew he needed a little more time," Fickell said. "Since that time, you've seen a different dedication, not just playing the game, but how he trained and taking care of his body. It's paying off."
More:Cincinnati Bearcats enter at No. 6 in first College Football Playoff rankings
The COVID-19 pandemic allowed Beavers to play all of his senior season without losing a year of eligibility and return for a graduate year. Beavers has taken advantage of the additional time on his clock.
After earning second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors last season, Beavers leads Cincinnati in sacks (3.5) and is second on the team in total tackles (58) this season.
"If it wasn't for me coming back here, I'd probably be done playing football right now," Beavers said. "I probably would have done my four years at UConn and just would have been done. I probably wouldn't be as good of a player as I am now. I definitely wouldn't have been a player like that.
"Coming back here, it's been a blessing to talk to these coaches, get with coaches that actually push me to be one of the best linebackers in the nation. Coach Brady (Brady Collins, director of sports performance for the Cincinnati football program), he saw the potential in me. I feel like ever since I stepped foot on this campus, it's been just improvement after improvement every month, every day. Just getting better and better. It's just crazy."
Beavers and the No. 6-ranked Bearcats (8-0, 4-0 AAC) look to stay unbeaten and improve their position in the College Football Playoff rankings with a win Saturday against Tulsa (3-5, 2-2).
More:Scouting report: A look at the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, the next opponent for No. 6 UC
3 keys to victory for the Bearcats
1. Stiff-arm distractions: Saturday is homecoming for the Bearcats. It's also the first time ESPN's College GameDay will broadcast its Saturday morning show from the UC campus. It's set to be an unprecedented atmosphere in and around Nippert Stadium.
None of that matters. What matters is Tulsa.
"For us, the football team, it changes absolutely nothing for us," senior quarterback Desmond Ridder said. "We still have the same exact schedule. We'll have the same schedule on Saturday."
Saturday needs to be just another day at the office for Cincinnati, a home office where the Bearcats have won 24 straight games.
2. Play all four quarters: The past two weeks have been a challenge for Cincinnati due to its inability to play complementary football for the duration of the afternoon. The Bearcats have also been thrown a few curveballs that they didn't expect from film study. That can't happen Saturday against an upset-minded Golden Hurricane team. The Bearcats need to be ready and be prepared to play a complete game for all four quarters.
"Winning is hard in college football," Beavers said. "But I feel like it's an opportunity for us to lock in because we know everybody that we play is gong to be gunning for us. We've seen stuff that we've never seen on film from these teams. That's why we always have a slow start. Now that we've had the same thing happen twice in a row, I feel like we kind of expect it. We expect them to come out in some funky formation we've never seen before. It's difficult, but we're ready."
3. More decisive, timely play-making from Ridder: The fifth-year senior quarterback admitted this week that he's not running as much this season because he wants to show he's much more than just an athletic quarterback.
"I wanted to develop my game as a passer," Ridder said. "A lot of people look at me as a dual-threat quarterback and one who uses his legs a lot. As myself, I wanted to see myself stay in the pocket, deliver the passes down-field and then really just use my legs when needed."
What makes Ridder special is his ability to make plays. Whether it's with his arm or legs, Ridder needs to just react, trust his instincts and be a playmaker.
How to watch
Time: 3:30 p.m. on Saturday
Where: Nippert Stadium
TV: Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) and Taylor McGregor (sideline) will have the call on ESPN2.
Radio: Dan Hoard (play-by-play), Jim Kelly Jr. (analyst) and Mo Egger (host/engineer) will have the UC radio network call on WLW-AM (700), Sirius 119, XM 206 and Sirius App 969.
Live stream: ESPN+
Betting line: UC was a 23.5-point favorite 24 hours before kickoff.
Series history: Tulsa leads 17-16-2.
Prediction
Tulsa has revenge on its mind. The Golden Hurricane had the opportunity to blow up Cincinnati's season a year ago, and the Bearcats prevailed with a narrow 27-24 win against Tulsa in the AAC championship game on a 35-yard field goal by Cole Smith as time expired. Tulsa has another opportunity to topple Cincinnati's sixth-ranked tower. That motivation will make it close, but the Bearcats prevail in the end. UC wins, 31-17.
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