The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the coaching staff on both sides of the ball vied for the services of lineman Christopher Ferguson, the Bahamian native chose to redshirt his true freshman season to better prepare himself for next year.

When he makes his debut in the 2015 campaign, Ferguson hopes to contend for a position in the starting lineup with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.

“I’m not playing this year and I chose to redshirt to give myself a better opportunity next year,” he said. “During training camp they had me at offensive line but when I got back to school they moved me back to defensive line because both the the O-line and D-line coaches wanted me to play on their side of the ball from I stepped on campus. They basically left the decision up to me.”

Ferguson was initially recruited as defensive lineman. He came to the Bearcats as a three-star recruit, according to ESPN.com, and has a pair of stars from 247sports.com and Scout.com.

As a defensive lineman in his senior season at Lake Nona High School in Orlando, Florida, he recorded 17 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

After just two years of playing organised football, one year locally with the Orry J Sands Pros and one year in Lake Nona, his potential as a defensive lineman was quickly noted.

Ferguson was named to the Orange County Senior Bowl and was ranked No.40 in the Sentinel’s 2014 Central Florida Super 60 and picked UC over offers from Illinois, Minnesota and Western Kentucky.

He was the Bearcats’ first signee of the 2014 class as a defensive tackle, however, in training camp, Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville and his staff decided to shift the 6’4”, 275-pound freshman to the offensive line.

“I would rather play defensive tackle because I feel like that’s where I can use the most of my athletic ability and that’s where I’m comfortable,” Ferguson said, “Right now I’m in the redshirt workouts and they are bulking me up for next season because they’re expecting me to step up and be a starter.”

The Bearcats opened their season with a 58-34 win over the Toledo Rockets on September 12.