For the first time since 2023, the University of Cincinnati college football team could have multiple NFL draft picks.
The last two seasons, the Bearcats have just had one (defensive lineman Jowon Briggs in 2024 and offensive lineman John Williams in 2025). The 2023 NFL Draft saw receivers Tre Tucker and Tyler Scott selected, along with tight end Josh Whyle.
The 2023 NFL Draft featured a school record eight picks, beginning with first-rounder Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner to the New York Jets; Alec Pierce to the Indianapolis Colts and Bryan Cook to the Kansas City Chiefs in the second; Desmond Ridder to the Atlanta Falcons and Myjai Sanders to the Arizona Cardinals in the third; Coby Bryant to the Seattle Seahawks in round four; Jerome Ford to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth; and Darrian Beavers to the New York Giants and Curtis Brooks to the Colts in round seven.
Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield thinks three to five UC players could be selected April 23-25 from the festivities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with several others having free agent opportunities.
The UC linebacker is rated a 6.33 on the NFL.com site, which means they feel he'll eventually be a starter. Golday measured 6-foot-4.5 at the NFL Combine and weighed in at 239 pounds. He ran a 4.62 40-yard dash, had a 39-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches.
Golday came to UC in 2024 and produced 58.5 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Last season, he was first-team Big 12, leading UC with 105.5 tackles with six tackles for loss 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein has Golday as a second-round pick, and NFL Mock Draft Database also sees him going in Round 2. In mock drafts, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated have him as the 20th pick overall in the first round to the Dallas Cowboys, The Draft Network has him 26th overall to the Buffalo Bills, while USA Today and Pro Football Focus mocks list him 31st overall to the Tennessee Titans.
"I wasn't just setting this dream just to dream about it, I was setting it as a goal," Golday said at UC's Pro Day on March 24.
UC linebackers coach Cort Braswell has watched Golday the past two seasons.
"The first time I met him, I thought he had a chance to be special," Braswell said. "You get him here and he was better than advertised. A better person, a better player, a tremendous human being."
Royer's NFL.com rating is 6.12, where it's believed he would be a good backup with the potential to start. Royer measured slightly over 6-foot-5 at the NFL Combine and weighed 247 pounds.
After transferring from Ohio State University, the former Elder High School standout broke Travis Kelce's single-season receptions record for tight ends with 50 in 2024, making first-team Big 12. In 2025, he was double-teamed and held to 29 catches.
UC tight ends coach Josh Stepp plans to be with him during the NFL draft, where NFL.com's Zierlein has him being chosen in either the fifth or sixth round. NFL Mock Draft Database has him going in Round 5. Elsewhere, USA Today has Royer going in the third round to the Philadelphia Eagles, NFL Spine Zone says fourth round to Dallas, and Clutch Points has Royer in the fifth round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Royer hopes to be the latest Bearcats tight end to get drafted, joining future Hall of Famer and Super Bowl winner Kelce, Super Bowl winner Brent Celek, Whyle and Josiah Deguara, among others.
Cyrus Allen grades out at 6.18 on the NFL.com site as he's listed as a good backup and potential starter.
At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Allen has moved up the charts despite not getting invited to the NFL Combine. At UC's Pro Day, he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, had a vertical leap of 36 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet. Running the best routes on the day didn't hurt either.
Allen had 46 catches at Louisiana Tech in 2023 before transferring to Texas A&M, where he caught 18 balls in 2024. Transferring to the Bearcats stepped up his production as he led the team with 51 receptions and 13 touchdowns, tying a school record for receivers.
NFL.com's Zierlein sees Allen going in the fourth round, while NFL Mock Draft Database has him pegged for Round 6. In other mock drafts, Sports Illustrated has Allen going in the sixth round to the New England Patriots, CBS says seventh round to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Clutch Points has him going in the fifth round to the Browns.
"He's the most competitive guy I've ever been around," UC wide receivers coach Vijay Stingley said. "He wants it so, so bad and he's going to put everything in it. It doesn't matter what he's asked to do; he's going to do it at a high level. He's definitely going to have a role on special teams in the league; I know a bunch of teams have been talking to him about that."
The Ringer's Todd McShay (formerly of ESPN) said Caldwell "won the Combine."