The Bearcats got great news earlier this week as All-American defensive tackle Dontay Corleone was cleared to play by Cincinnati medical staff for the first time since dealing with a non-football injury as he recovered from blood clots.

The All-American finished with 39 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in 2023. Corleone elected to return for his fourth season after being on NFL big boards prior to the 2024 NFL Draft.

However, for Corleone it is a great sight to see him back on the field playing after dealing with such a scary off the field situation. However, it is still to be determined if he will be on a snap count this afternoon, but in the meantime, Cincinnati now has a much needed boost at the nose tackle position.

The Bearcats entered the season with a lot of uncertainty at the defensive line position due to the status of Corleone, and losing guys like Jalen Hunt and Mikah Coleman for the season due to injuries. Cincinnati also allowed 425 yards of total offense last week to FCS Towson, and with a high powered AAC foe like Pittsburgh coming to town, the news of Corleone's availability is a massive sign of relief for Cincinnati.

Now, for Corleone, this is a big day for the Cincinnati native to be able to get back to action here in his hometown for the first time in 2024.