Per GoBearcats:
Eight members of the University of Cincinnati football team have been named Preseason All-Big 12 by Athlon Sports.
In addition, offensive lineman Luke Kandra (second team) and defensive lineman Dontay Corleone (fourth team) were picked as preseason All-Americans by Athlon.
Corleone and Kandra were both first-team all-conference selections from Athlon. Offensive lineman Gavin Gerhardt and punter Mason Fletcher both earned spots on the second team. Running back Corey Kiner and offensive lineman Dartanyan Tinsley were third-team selections, while wide receiver Xzavier Henderson and linebacker Jared Bartlett were both selected to the fourth team.
This marks the second preseason All-America accolade for both Corleone and Kandra, who earned similar distinctions from Phil Steele.
Corleone, Kandra, Tinsley, Fletcher, and Henderson all earned preseason all-conference honors from Phil Steele as well.
Corleone, who was also named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list, collected 39 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks, and one forced fumble this past season for the Bearcats, earning him All-Big 12 honors.
Kandra was named an All-American last year by the Associated Press and Walter Camp, and was an All-Big 12 honoree. He was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the second-best run blocking guard with a grade of 82.1, and the third-ranked Power Five guard (81.8).
Fletcher is a former All-American and two-time all-conference punter who ranked fourth in the Big 12 last season in punting (43.0). He was one of two Big 12 punters to not recorded a touchback and also pinned 23 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Tinsley started all 12 games at left guard last year and helped lead the way for UC’s rushing attack that ranked fifth in the nation (217.1 ypg). His PFF grade of 68.5 ranked seventh among Big 12 guards.
Henderson was Cincinnati’s leading receiver in 2023 and earned All-Big 12 honors in his first year with the Bearcats. He totaled 994 all-purpose yards, including 782 receiving yards on 58 catches while hauling in three touchdowns. Henderson started all 11 games that he played in and recorded three 100-yard receiving efforts.
Bartlett transferred to UC this offseason after spending the last five years at West Virginia. As a Mountaineer, he appeared in 50 games and totaled 134 tackles and 21.0 tackles for loss. He was a two-time winner of WVU’s Iron Mountaineer Award, presented to the most outstanding performers in the offseason strength and conditioning program.
Gerhardt was an all-conference performer last year and one of four team captains. He finished the year as the third-highest rated center in the Big 12 according to Pro Football Focus (73.4) and his run block grade of 79.7 was the best among Big 12 centers and sixth-best in the nation.
Kiner rushed for 1,047 yards and five touchdowns last season, posting the 20th 1,000-yard rushing season in program history. He had six 100-yard rushing performances, including a high of 153 in the win against Pitt. Kiner averaged 87.3 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked eighth in the conference.
