Bearcats earn Big 12 Post season honors and transfer news

by Ryan Roberts

Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Dontay Corleone and redshirt junior right guard Luke Kandra were both named to the All-Big 12 Second Team on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Both players will return next to season to try to improve on this season's disappointing 3-9 finish.

Corleone entered the season as a preseason all american and one of the country's top interior defensive linemen. He finished with 39 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks as a team captain in 2023. Pro Football Focus graded him as the highest rated defensive player in the country during a breakout redshirt freshman season, finishing with 45 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and three sacks en route to AP All-America and AFCA Freshman All-America honors.
 
"The Godfather"  announced on Tuesday he would bypass the NFL Draft and return to Cincinnati for his redshirt junior season.

 


 
Kandra came over from Louisville this off season and made an immediate impact this season, finishing as the second-highest graded guard in the Big 12 and fourth-best guard in the nation according to Pro Football Focus.
 
Per GoBearcats, Kandra led Cincinnati with 79 knockdowns and a 92% overall grade, rating as UC's best offensive lineman in 10 of 12 games. He logged 895 snaps during the regular season – the third-most of any guard in the country.
 
Cincinnati rush offense finished fifth in the nation (217.1 ypg) and junior running back Corey Kiner tallied the 20th 1,000-yard rushing season in Bearcats' history.
 

Corleone received votes for Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, while Kandra received votes for Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year.
 
Other Bearcats to receive Big 12 Honorable Mention Honors include Fifth-year senior Jowon Briggs, junior punter Mason Fletcher, redshirt junior center Gavin Gerhard, wide receiver Xzavier Hendeson, and senior defensive back Deshawn Pace. 

Pace had one year of elgiibility remaining but recently announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. 

 


 
Briggs, a team captain, finished with 27 tackles and 6.0 TFLS, while Fletcher averaged 43.0 on 45 punts, placing 23 inside the 20. 


Henderson finished the season with 58 receptions for 782 yards and three touchdowns, ranking among the Big 12's Top 10 in catches and yards.

Transfer News

The transfer portal officially opens on December 4th but the following players have publicly announced that they will enter the transfer portal and play elsewhere for the 2024 season:

  • Chamon Metayer TE
  • Myles Montgomery RB
  • George Udo S
  • Sammy Anderson CB
  • Cam Jones OT
  • Jahmal Williams LB/DL
  • Justin Wodtly DL
  • Deshawn Pace OLB/DB
  • Byron Threats S
  • Donovan Ollie WR
  • Luke Dalton OL
  • Isiah Cox S
  • Stephan Byrd RB
  • Justin Harris CB
  • Cayson Pfieffer LS
  • Ty Perkins WR

Most departures were expected as this staff continues to try to establish a player led culture that promotes accountability amongst one another. This will be an important off season for Coach Satterfield and his staff heading in to year two as a member of the Big 12 after finishing this season 3-9 with just one Big 12 victory. 


 

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