Cincinnati Football: Bearcats duo Dontay Corleone, Luke Kandra earn Big 12 honors

Cincinnati Bearcats star defensive lineman Dontay Corleone and veteran offensive guard Luke Kandra each earned All-Big 12 accolades on Wednesday!

During his sophomore season at Cincinnati, Corleone compiled 39 total tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble en route to receiving All-Big 12 recognition.

Kandra was an integral part of the Bearcats fifth ranked rushing attack this season and was among the highest-rated offensive linemen in the nation.

Others that took home All-Big 12 honors this week are standouts Jowon Briggs, Mason Fletcher, Gavin Gerhardt, Xzavier Henderson and Deshawn Pace.

Cincinnati Football: Bearcats duo Dontay Corleone, Luke Kandra earn Big 12 honors

After an impressive freshman campaign in 2022, Corleone returned to Cincinnati a season ago and continued to develop into a dominant defender.

Corleone was placed on a pair of preseason watch lists in the summer including the Nagurski Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top defensive player.

Kandra was mentioned as the highest-graded right guard in the country along with a handful of notable offensive linemen according to Pro Football Focus.

With an opportunity to play at his hometown school, Kandra opted to follow head coach Scott Satterfield and transfer from Louisville to Cincinnati last year.

Cincinnati Football: Luke Kandra mentioned in PFF’s highest graded offense linemen

Despite struggling on offense at times this season, the Bearcats much improved rushing attack ranked near the nation’s most effective and efficient units.

Following a historic win over the Houston Cougars in November, Cincinnati continued to show off an elite ground game led by star running back Corey Kiner.

Kiner eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the sixth time this year, racking up a team-high 106 rushing yards on 18 carries as the season officially came to a close.

The Cincinnati product and former Roger Bacon High School standout is the first Bearcats running back to have 1,000 rushing yards since Jerome Ford in 2021.