CINCINNATI -- Defensive tackle Dontay Corleone has been cleared to play in games, the Cincinnati Bearcats announced Tuesday. The redshirt junior and former All-American missed time this summer and was limited in preseason camp after blood clots were discovered in his lungs.
Corleone, nicknamed "The Godfather," was a first-team All-Big 12 selection this preseason. He's expected to be a full participant in practice Tuesday, and his status for Saturday's game against Pitt will be determined later this week.
The Cincinnati native was treated for blood clots in June after Corleone reported chest discomfort and shortness of breath to Cincinnati medical staff. He spent one night at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Corleone and his family, along with Cincinnati's head medical trainer Aaron Himmler and team physician Dr. Jon Divine, met with several physicians and specialists in the months since to develop a plan for Corleone to safely and fully return to football activities.
"I'm excited to be back on the field with my brothers," Corleone said in a statement. "My family and I are very thankful for Aaron Himmler, Dr. Divine and the entire UC sports medicine staff. I also want to thank all of our fans for their love and support throughout this process. For the last few months, I have worked extremely hard to make a return."
Corleone, a 6-foot-1, 320-pound nose tackle, earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023 in Cincinnati's inaugural season in the conference, recording 39 total tackles, three sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. He had a breakout season as a redshirt freshman in 2022, when he was named a third-team and freshman All-American with 45 tackles, three sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two recoveries as Pro Football Focus's highest-rated defensive player among FBS programs.
"Dontay has really worked hard to get to this point, and we are excited to have him back," Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield said in a statement. "We will continue to closely monitor him."
Coming off a season-opening win over Towson, the Bearcats (1-0) will host Pitt (1-0) at Nippert Stadium on Saturday.