Cincy’s Corleone cleared to play after blood clots

Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone, who was treated for blood clots in his lungs in June, has been cleared to play in games and resume all football activities, the school announced Tuesday.

Corleone had been participating in practices during training camp, but only in a limited role. He did not play in the 38-20 win over Towson on Saturday, and his playing status for this weekend’s game against Pitt will be determined this week.

The 6-1, 320-pound Corleone was a second-team All-Big 12 selection last season after finishing with 39 tackles (6.5 for loss) and three sacks at nose tackle. He was a consensus freshman All-American in 2022 after making 45 tackles (5.5 for loss) with three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Cincinnati said its sports medicine staff met with several doctors and specialists to develop a plan for Corleone to resume football activities safely, and Corleone thanked the school’s medical staff for its diligence.

“I’m excited to be back on the field with my brothers,” Corleone said. “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.”

Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield welcomed the return of the Cincinnati native and two-time team captain.

“Dontay has really worked hard to get to this point, and we are excited to have him back,” Satterfield said. “Despite being limited, he has stepped up as a team leader and maintained a steadying influence on the team. We are grateful to our medical staff for implementing a plan that will allow Dontay to play. We will continue to closely monitor him. We are thrilled he is healthy and ready to come back.”