CINCINNATI — The Godfather will return for one more season.
Dontay Corleone, the Cincinnati Bearcats' All-American defensive tackle, announced on social media Monday he will return for his redshirt senior season next year.
"Growing up in Cincinnati, I always dreamed of being a Bearcat. ... The past three years, I have lived that dream every Saturday," Corleone said. "Cincinnati has given me some of the best memories of my life and I have made relationships that will last a lifetime here. After much consideration and reflection with my family, I have decided that my time as a Bearcat is not over."
Corleone finished the 2024 season with 3.5 sacks and 26 total tackles, playing in almost every game for the Bearcats despite a pulmonary embolism changing his life.
After what he said was the best offseason of his collegiate career, Corleone learned he had blood clots during a trip to the ER spurred by the team's medical staff.
“I never knew what a PE was until I found out I had it and it just was, just took my whole world out of me for a second,” the 22-year-old told us during the season.
UC's staff was able to help Corleone safely fight his way back onto the field, where he remained the heartbeat of the Bearcats.
Now, he'll look to improve his stats — and Cincinnati's record — next season as a redshirt senior.
"Let's run it back one more time!" he said on his social media post.
