Cincinnati’s Donte Corleone cleared to play after blood clot

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

Corleone was participating in practices during training camp, but only in a limited role. He did not play in Saturday’s 38-20 win over Towson and his 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 of nose tackles. He was an All-American in 2022 after recording 45 tackles (5.5 for loss), 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 safely resume football activities, and Corleone thanked the school’s medical staff for their perseverance.

“I’m excited to be back on the field with my brothers,” Corleone said. “I’d like to thank all of our fans for their love and support throughout this process. Over the past few months, I’ve worked extremely hard to get back on track.”

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

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