Darian Kinnard Named Consensus All-American
Kentucky senior offensive tackle Darian Kinnard was named a 2021 Consensus All-American, it was announced this week, becoming the first offensive lineman to receive the honor since All-American Sam Ball in 1965. The Wildcats now have 12 consensus All-Americans in school history a total of 14 times.
It also marks the third time in the last four years a Wildcat has been named a consensus All-American.
Kinnard joins Bob Gain (1950), Babe Parilli (1950 and 1951), Lou Michaels (1956 and 1957), Sam Ball (1965), Art Still (1977), Tim Couch (1998), James Whalen (1999), Derek Abney (2002), Josh Allen (2018), Lynn Bowden (2019) and Max Duffy (2019) on the prestigious list.
To be named to the Consensus team, players have to be listed on the first team for more than half the All-America teams used in the compilation. If no player meets this criterion at a position, a player can be selected if named first team on at least two of the All-America teams. Second and third teams are used to break ties. In the case of a true tie, all players are listed. Five organizations are used to compile the consensus team — American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Foundation.
Kinnard, a 6-foot-5, 338-pound mountain from Knoxville, Tennessee, earned first-team All-America honors from four of the five – FWAA, Walter Camp and the AP. He was a second-team All-American by The Sporting News.
Kinnard led Kentucky with 30 knockdown blocks in 12 games for the 22nd-ranked Wildcats this season. Pro Football Focus evaluated Kinnard as one of only three Power Five tackles to grade at 85 or better as both a run and pass blocker. He was awarded the Southeastern Conference’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, just the second Kentucky player to win the award, which annually has been given to the SEC’s top blocker since 1935. He also was a semifinalist for both the 2021 Rotary Lombardi Award, given to an offensive or defensive lineman who combines outstanding performance on the field with the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, and the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman.
Postseason Awards for Kinnard:
First-Team All-America (AFCA, AP, FWAA, Walter Camp, Phil Steele, CBS Sports, Reese’s Senior Bowl)
Second-Team All-American (The Sporting News, PFF, The Athletic)
First-Team All-SEC (AP, PFF, Coaches, Phil Steele)
2021 Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Kentucky (9-3, 5-3 SEC) is headed to Orlando, Fla., for a school-record sixth straight bowl appearance. The No. 22 Wildcats have accepted a bid to play in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl and will face No. 15 Iowa Jan. 1 in Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN Radio and the UK Sports Radio Network.
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