Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corlone collected Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America accolades on Thursday.
He is the first Bearcat to collect FWAA Freshman All-America honors since cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner accomplished the feat in 2019.
The Cincinnati native and Colerain High School product appeared in 11 games for the Bearcats, tallying 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles. Corleone helped lead a defense that ranked fifth in the country in yards per play allowed (4.61). He now returns to a defensive line that includes veterans Jowon Briggs and Malik Vann returning, in addition to his old high school teammate, Eric Phillips.
All four are local products with Corleone and Phillips coming from Colerain, Briggs from Walnut Hills and Vann from Fairfield. They will play under new defensive coordinator Bryan Brown who comes to UC from Louisville with new head coach Scott Satterfield. The Cardinals led the nation in sacks and fourth-down percentage last season.
Corleone finished 2022 as the nation’s highest-graded defensive player with a rating of 93.9 according to Pro Football Focus.
He collected All-AAC First Team honors and Third Team All-America accolades from the Associated Press and PFF. Corleone is listed at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds.
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