TicketsCINCINNATI -- Cincinnati football defensive lineman Dontay Corleone (first team) and punter Mason Fletcher (third) were named Preseason All-Americans by Phil Steele to headline five Bearcats on the All-Big 12 team.
Defensive lineman Jowon Briggs (first), linebacker Deshawn Pace (third) and transfer offensive lineman Luke Kandra (fourth) also earned conference nods.
Corleone (Colerain HS) earned his third preseason honor that includes being a Walter Camp Preseason First Team All-American. He returns as the nation's highest-graded defensive player by Pro Football Focus (PFF) after totaling 45 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks and two forced fumbles in 11 games on his way to receiving All-AAC First Team and Third Team All-America accolades from the Associated Press and PFF in 2022.
Fletcher received AP Third Team All-America honors after he established himself as one of the nation's premier punters by being named AAC Special Teams Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the prestigious Ray Guy Award in 2022. Fletcher also collected All-AAC First Team honors after he finished fourth nationally with a 46.2-yard average.
Fletcher totaled 14 punts of 50-plus yards and tallied 29 punts inside the 20. His season-long of 84 yards at SMU on Oct. 22 shattered the previous program and conference records.
Briggs (Walnut Hills HS), one of four Cincinnati natives out of the five picks, started all 13 games at nose tackle, anchoring a defense that ranked fifth nationally in yards per play allowed (4.61)...Finished with 60 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks en route to All-AAC First Team honors.
Pace (Colerain HS) Versatile linebacker who started eight games and appeared in all 13 contests. He ranked fifth on the Bearcats with 62 tackles and had a team-high four interceptions to go with a blocked field goal in the 2021 College Football Playoff season.
Kandra (Elder HS) was a two-year letterwinner at Louisville under Scott Satterfield, redshirting in 2020 before appearing in 21 games in 2021 and 2022. He made two starts in 2022 and was key part of offensive line that paved the way for the Cardinals to average 193.4 rushing yards per game in the regular season, a mark that ranked second in the ACC.
Defensive lineman Jowon Briggs (first), linebacker Deshawn Pace (third) and transfer offensive lineman Luke Kandra (fourth) also earned conference nods.
Corleone (Colerain HS) earned his third preseason honor that includes being a Walter Camp Preseason First Team All-American. He returns as the nation's highest-graded defensive player by Pro Football Focus (PFF) after totaling 45 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks and two forced fumbles in 11 games on his way to receiving All-AAC First Team and Third Team All-America accolades from the Associated Press and PFF in 2022.
Fletcher received AP Third Team All-America honors after he established himself as one of the nation's premier punters by being named AAC Special Teams Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the prestigious Ray Guy Award in 2022. Fletcher also collected All-AAC First Team honors after he finished fourth nationally with a 46.2-yard average.
Fletcher totaled 14 punts of 50-plus yards and tallied 29 punts inside the 20. His season-long of 84 yards at SMU on Oct. 22 shattered the previous program and conference records.
Briggs (Walnut Hills HS), one of four Cincinnati natives out of the five picks, started all 13 games at nose tackle, anchoring a defense that ranked fifth nationally in yards per play allowed (4.61)...Finished with 60 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks en route to All-AAC First Team honors.
Pace (Colerain HS) Versatile linebacker who started eight games and appeared in all 13 contests. He ranked fifth on the Bearcats with 62 tackles and had a team-high four interceptions to go with a blocked field goal in the 2021 College Football Playoff season.
Kandra (Elder HS) was a two-year letterwinner at Louisville under Scott Satterfield, redshirting in 2020 before appearing in 21 games in 2021 and 2022. He made two starts in 2022 and was key part of offensive line that paved the way for the Cardinals to average 193.4 rushing yards per game in the regular season, a mark that ranked second in the ACC.