Source: Cincy’s Corleone to play after blood clots

Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone will start for the Bearcats against Pittsburgh on Saturday, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Corleone was cleared for full contact this week after being treated for blood clots in his lungs in June, but the team had not determined his playing status as of Tuesday.

The source said there was a plan in place to monitor Corleone during Saturday’s game but that there was no official snap count.

Corleone had been participating in practices during training camp, but only in a limited role, and did not play in last week’s 38-20 win over Towson.

The 6-foot-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 this week that 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.”

Information from ESPN’s Dave Wilson was used in this report.