TicketsCINCINNATI – Cincinnati redshirt senior linebacker Jake Golday earned first-team All-Big 12 honors on Thursday, leading the way for a group of 13 Bearcats who were named all-conference by the league.
Golday was the lone first-teamer for Cincinnati. Redshirt junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby, senior wide receiver Cyrus Allen, redshirt junior offensive lineman Joe Cotton, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Evan Tengesdahl, redshirt senior defensive lineman Dontay Corleone, and redshirt junior punter Max Fletcher were all placed on the second team.
Redshirt senior tight end Joe Royer and redshirt senior offensive lineman Gavin Gerhardt were both picked to the third team.
A quartet of Bearcats received honorable mention status: redshirt senior running back Tawee Walker, senior wide receiver Jeff Caldwell, redshirt senior defensive lineman Jalen Hunt, and redshirt junior safety Antwan Peek Jr.
Below is a look at each Bearcat to earn All-Big 12 honors:
First Team: LB Jake Golday
Golday has had a terrific 2025 campaign, leading UC with 105 tackles while adding six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three pass breakups. He’s the first Bearcat to post a 100-tackle season since Ivan Pace Jr. in 2022. He ranks among the conference and national leaders in tackles per game (8.8) and has eight games with double-digit stops. Golday was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last season.
Second Team: QB Brendan Sorsby, WR Cyrus Allen, OL Joe Cotton, OL Evan Tengesdahl, DL Dontay Corleone, P Max Fletcher
Sorsby has been outstanding this season, leveling up to become one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. He has completed 207-of-336 passes for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns while also rushing for 580 yards and nine scores. His 36 total touchdowns are tied for third nationally, and he owns the longest active streak of 2-plus touchdown games among FBS quarterbacks, having accounted for at least two TDs in 12 straight games. Sorsby ranks second in the Big 12 in passer rating (155.1) and is the league’s No. 1-ranked QB according to PFF (90.1). He was also an honorable mention pick for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
In his first year at Cincinnati, Allen became Sorsby’s top target and turned in one of the most prolific seasons by a UC wide receiver in recent memory. He leads UC in receptions (49), receiving yards (665), and touchdowns (12), ranking third in the country in TDs. Allen’s 12 receiving touchdowns are one off the school record of 13 set by Marcus Bennett in 2007. Nine of Allen’s 12 touchdowns came against Big 12 competition. He was also an honorable mention selection for Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
Cotton and Tengesdahl have started every game at left tackle and left guard, respectively, and have helped form one of the best offensive line units in the Big 12. UC is tied for third nationally in fewest sacks allowed (seven) and ranks third in fewest TFL allowed (39). Behind the play of Cotton and Tengesdahl, Cincinnati’s offense leads the Big 12 in yards per play (7.13) and yards per carry (5.90), ranking seventh and third in the nation, respectively.
Corleone is an all-conference performer for the fourth straight season, joining former Bearcats Mike Mickens (2005-08) and James Smith (2017-20) as the only players in program history to earn all-conference honors in four straight seasons. Despite battling through injuries early in the season, Corleone started 10 games and was a menace for opposing offensive lines.
Behind Fletcher’s big leg, Cincinnati ranks 17th nationally in net punting (42.03). Fletcher has put 17 of his 35 punts inside the 20-yard line, and he has 13 punts of 50-plus yards with just one touchback. He has placed three punts inside the 2-yard line and was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance vs. UCF. In that game, He placed four of his five punts inside the Knights’ 15-yard line.
Third Team: TE Joe Royer, OL Gavin Gerhardt
Royer is now a two-time All-Big 12 selection after being picked to the first team last season. He has 29 catches for 416 yards and four touchdowns this season while leading all Big 12 tight ends in yards per reception (14.34). Royer is the only tight end in the nation with two receptions of at least 60 yards this season. In his two seasons as a Bearcat he has caught 79 passes, which ranks fifth all-time among Cincinnati tight ends.
Now a two-time All-Big 12 pick, Gerhardt has started more games at center than anyone in program history (48). He is a three-time team captain and helped lead the offensive line this year, playing a big role in the unit’s selection as a Joe Moore Award semifinalist Gerhardt was also an honorable mention for Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Honorable Mention: RB Tawee Walker, WR Jeff Caldwell, DL Jalen Hunt, S Antwan Peek Jr.
Walker made a name for himself this season with his punishing runs and broken tackles, and he has led the team with 709 rushing yards on 120 carries. He posted a season-high 119 rushing yards vs. Arizona, his fifth career 100-yard rushing performance. Against Big 12 opponents, Walker averaged 5.8 yards per carry and scored three of his four touchdowns.
Caldwell caught 32 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns in his first season at UC. He ended the regular season on a hot streak, catching four TDs over the final three games of the season. Caldwell posted a 100-yard receiving game earlier in the year vs. Bowling Green, catching five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
After missing the 2024 season due to injury, Hunt has started all 12 games this year on the defensive line. He has 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. All of Hunt’s sacks have come in Big 12 play, and he had two in the victory over No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 4.
Peek ranks among the team leaders with 48 tackles while adding 2.5 TFL, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He has appeared in all 12 games, starting five, and earlier this season was named a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.