Kentucky football’s Darian Kinnard on AP’s preseason All-America squad

Kentucky offensive tackle Darian Kinnard was named a second-team preseason All-American by the Associated Press on Monday.

The position is SEC heavy with the first-team offensive tackles being Alabama junior Evan Neal and Texas A&M junior Kenyon Green. Kinnard, a senior, was joined on the the second team by Ohio State senior Thayer Munford.

Kinnard, who is 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds and from Knoxville, Tenn., was graded by Pro Football Focus as college football’s top run-blocking tackle for 2021, according to UK Athletics. He has played in 33 career games with 26 consecutive starts.

Kinnard was named preseason first-team All-SEC this season by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele and Walter Camp. Additionally, he was chosen as a preseason first-team All-American by USA Today, Walter Camp and Pro Football Focus, and a preseason second-team All-American by Phil Steele.

The AP named first and second teams with Notre Dame and Iowa State each having three players selected. Eight teams had at least two first-team All-Americans.

Along with running back Breece Hall, seventh-ranked Iowa State is represented on the first team by tight end Charlie Kolar and linebacker Mike Rose. Defensive back Kyle Hamilton is joined by Fighting Irish teammates Cain Madden, a guard who transferred from Marshall to Notre Dame in the offseason, and running back Kyren Williams, who made the team as an all-purpose player.

Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler is the first-team quarterback and Sooners teammate Nik Bonitto made the team at linebacker.

Defending national champion Alabama is represented on the first team by outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and offensive tackle Evan Neal.

Clemson’s two first-team All-Americans were receiver Justyn Ross, who missed all last season with a neck injury, and defensive lineman Bryan Bresee.

Ohio State’s Chris Olave is the other first-team receiver, and Buckeyes defensive tackle Haskell Garrett made the preseason first team after being a second-team selection after last season.

LSU (cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and kicker Cade York) and Texas A&M (tackle Kenyon Green and defensive end DeMarvin Leal) each had two first-team All-Americans.

Hall and Northwestern safety Brandon Joseph were the only preseason All-Americans who are coming off first-team All-America seasons.

AP preseason All-Americans

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

Quarterback — Spencer Rattler, sophomore, Oklahoma.

Running backs — Breece Hall, junior, Iowa State; Bijan Robinson, sophomore, Texas.

Tackles — Evan Neal, junior, Alabama; Kenyon Green, junior, Texas A&M.

Guards — Cain Madden, senior, Notre Dame; Zion Johnson, senior, Boston College.

Center — Tyler Linderbaum, junior, Iowa.

Tight end — Charlie Kolar, senior, Iowa State.

Wide receivers — Chris Olave, senior, Ohio State; Justyn Ross, junior, Clemson.

All-purpose player — Kyren Williams, sophomore, Notre Dame.

Kicker — Cade York, junior, LSU.

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

Ends — Kayvon Thibodeaux, junior, Oregon; DeMarvin Leal, junior, Texas A&M.

Tackles — Haskell Garrett, super senior, Ohio State; Bryan Bresee, sophomore, Clemson.

Linebackers — Will Anderson Jr., sophomore, Alabama; Nik Bonitto, junior, Oklahoma; Mike Rose, senior, Iowa State.

Cornerbacks — Derek Stingley, Jr., junior, LSU; Ahmad Gardner, junior, Cincinnati.

Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, junior, Notre Dame; Brandon Joseph, sophomore, Northwestern.

Punter — Jake Camarda, senior, Georgia.

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

Quarterback — Sam Howell, junior, North Carolina.

Running backs — Mohamed Ibrahim, senior, Minnesota; Isaiah Spiller, junior, Texas A&M.

Tackles — Thayer Munford, senior, Ohio State; Darian Kinnard, senior, Kentucky.

Guards — Jamaree Salyer, senior, Georgia; Emil Ekiyor, junior, Alabama.

Center — Jarrett Patterson, junior, Notre Dame.

Tight end — Jalen Wydermyer, junior, Texas A&M.

Wide receivers — Garrett Wilson, junior, Ohio State; John Metchie III, junior, Alabama.

All-purpose player — Jerrion Ealy, junior, Mississippi.

Kicker — Anders Carlson, senior, Auburn.

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

Ends — Aidan Hutchinson, senior, Michigan; George Karlaftis, junior, Purdue.

Tackles — Jordan Davis, senior, Georgia; Dante Stills, senior, West Virginia.

Linebackers — Devin Lloyd, super senior Utah; Christian Harris, junior, Alabama; Micah McFadden, senior, Indiana.

Cornerbacks — Kaiir Elam, junior, Florida; Tiawan Mullen, junior, Indiana.

Safeties — Jalen Catalon, redshirt sophomore, Arkansas; Jaquan Brisker, super senior, Penn State.

Punter — Lou Hedley, senior, Miami.

This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 12:25 PM.