Per GoBearcats:

Cincinnati redshirt junior defensive tackle Dontay Corleone was named to the watch list for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award on Thursday.

The award is presented annually to a student-athlete who has all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

A Cincinnati native, Corleone is one of the Bearcats’ leaders on and off the field. A 2022 All-American, “The Godfather” has appeared in 26 games in his career at UC, totaling 93 tackles, 13 TFL, seven sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was PFF’s top-rated defensive player in 2022 and the third-ranked Big 12 interior defensive lineman a year ago.

Corleone missed the season opener and much of fall camp after being diagnosed with blood clots in June. He was fully cleared to participate in football activities just days before the Week 2 game vs. Pitt, and he was in the starting lineup for that game. He recorded six tackles and one sack in his first game of the 2024 season. While he was recovering, Dontay was still a presence at football practices and helped mentor his younger teammates. Even though he couldn't be on the field at the time, he was doing whatever it took to still positively affect his teammates.

He has also lent his time to community service projects including elementary school visits at Rockdale Academy, volunteering with Impacting Tomorrow, and UC’s “Thank-A-Thon” event.

Twenty semifinalists will be announced on October 22. Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 16. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 12, 2025.

The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 16 years. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.