From the moment he signed to play football for the University of Cincinnati, Doug Monaghan had his eye on one goal: He wanted to start the first game of his freshman year.

        The opportunity to start right away was a major part of the pitch the UC coaches used when they recruited Monaghan out of Colerain High School. The Bearcats were losing their starting strong safety. The job was open. Monaghan could be just the man to fill it.

        “They told me if I was good enough, I'd have a chance,” Monaghan said.

        Monaghan began fall practice as No.4 on the depth chart, but steadily worked his way up and will in fact start in his first college game at strong safety Sunday afternoon at Nippert Stadium against Purdue.

        He'll be the only true freshman in UC's starting lineup and one of only three who have started their first game as true freshmen during the eight years that Rick Minter has served as head coach. The other two were offensive lineman Josh Gardner in 1999 and defensive lineman Derrick Ransom in 1994.

        “It's a heck of an honor,” Minter said. “Doug Monaghan has earned everything he's got. He hasn't been given anything.”

        Monaghan, a 6-foot-3, 192-pounder, is one of seven local players who will start for UC on Sunday, joining Gardner (Moeller) and offensive tackle Shawn Murphy (Oak Hills), guard Kirt Doolin (Covington Catholic), defensive end Antwan Peek (Woodward), linebacker Willis Edwards (Moeller) and punter Adam Wulfeck (Beechwood).

        He's the type of kid UC has been trying for years to recruit — a high-profile player from a high-profile local high school program. It doesn't hurt that Monaghan, a first-team all-state selection last year at Colerain, was also an honor roll student there.

        “He's smart, he's a playmaker and he's physical,” Minter said. “He supports the run well, plays the ball well in the air and he's got way better than average speed. The kids in the secondary have really taken to him.”

        Monaghan impressed the UC coaching staff right away with his feel for the game.

        “He has a great grasp of the game of football,” said defensive coordinator A.J. Christoff. “He doesn't learn things by rote memory. He was able to come in and grasp our system right away just because he understands football.”

        Monaghan made 125 tackles and intercepted nine passes last year. He also caught 32 passes for 750 yards. But defense is his strength and his future. If he's as good as he has shown during practice, he could become a fixture in UC's defensive backfield. He'll jump right into the fire against a Big Ten opponent on national television in front of a sellout crowd of 35,000, the largest in UC's history.

        That's a lot to ask of a true freshman, but it's what Monaghan wanted.

        “It's going to be exciting,” Monaghan said. “I know that. I played in front of 25,000 when we played Elder here, but 10,000 added on to that, that's a lot.”

Monaghan earns rare start at UC

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