PHILADELPHIA – The Maxwell Football Club announced that Cincinnati football redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Dontay Corleone has been named to the national preseason watch list for the 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award.
Since 1994, the Bednarik Award has been presented annually to the most outstanding defensive player in college football.
Corleone is one of 85 defensive standouts selected and one of 11 from the Big 12. He joins Texas Tech's Jaylon Hutchings as the only conference defensive tackles recognized.
This is the latest of four preseason watch list candidacies for Corleone, who was recently selected for both the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy preseason watch lists, in addition to being tabbed a "player to watch" for the 2023 Walter Camp Trophy last week.
He was also recently named to a Preseason Second-Team All-American by The Athletic and Preseason All-Big 12 by conference media.
Corleone was a key piece for a defensive unit that ranked fifth nationally with 4.61 yards per play allowed and totaled 45 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in only 11 games in 2022 to earn All-AAC First Team and Third Team All-America selections from the Associated Press (AP) and Pro Football Focus (PFF). He was also an AFCA and College Football News Freshman All-American.
ABOUT THE CHUCK BEDNARIK AWARD
The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck "Concrete Charlie" Bednarik who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full-time player on both offense and defense. Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 13, 2023, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled Nov. 28, 2023. The winners of the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 7, 2023. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2024.
Corleone Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
The Maxwell Football Club announced that Cincinnati football redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Dontay Corleone has been named to the national preseason watch list for the 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award.
