AP selection makes UK football’s Darian Kinnard a consensus First Team All-American
For the third time in the last four seasons, Kentucky’s football program has produced a First Team All-American.
Darian Kinnard, a senior offensive tackle, was named to the All-America First Team offense by The Associated Press on Monday. Kinnard is UK’s fifth player to be named to the AP First Team during Mark Stoops’ tenure, joining Josh Allen (2018), Bunchy Stallings (2018), Lynn Bowden (2019) and Max Duffy (2019).
Kinnard, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., who played at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, has started 38 straight games at right tackle for Kentucky since signing with the Wildcats as part of the 2018 recruiting class. He is a two-time selection to the AP’s All-Southeastern Conference First Team and so far this year has been named to All-America teams released by the Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp and Pro Football Focus.
The AP, FWWA and Walter Camp honors make Kinnard a consensus First Team All-American. If named to the first team by the American Football Coaches Association and Sporting News, he would be considered a unanimous selection by the NCAA’s standards. Allen and Duffy were unanimous selections, while Bowden was a consensus pick.
Kinnard was the recipient of this year’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, awarded to the top offensive lineman in the SEC, becoming the second UK player to receive that honor (Warren Bryant, 1976). He led UK with 30 knockdown blocks in 12 games, per a release from the school. Pro Football Focus this season tabbed Kinnard as one of only three tackles from a Power Five school to grade at 85 or better as both a run and pass blocker.
Kinnard is expected to be a first-round selection in next year’s NFL Draft. If selected in the first round, he would give Kentucky back-to-back first-round selections for the first time since 1977-1978.
