Football
Darian Kinnard - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 70

DarianKinnard

  • position Offensive Lineman
  • height 6-5
  • Weight 324
  • class Sophomore
  • Hometown Knoxville, Tenn.
  • High school St. Ignatius (Ohio)

Career

  • Played in 46 career games with 39 consecutive starts
  • Played right tackle on the “Big Blue Wall” and was an essential component for the O-Line unit, recognized for the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s top offensive line, four straight seasons, including finalists in 2021
  • Earned consensus First-Team All-American status as a senior, UK’s first offensive lineman to hold that distinction since Sam Ball in 1965 … UK’s 12th Consensus All-American
  • Awarded the 2021 Jacobs Blocking Trophy

2021 – Senior

  • Consensus First-Team All-American, first offensive lineman to hold that distinction since Sam Ball in 1965 … UK’s 12th Consensus All-American
  • First-Team All-America (AFCA, AP, FWAA, Walter Camp, CBS Sports, Phil Steele, Reese’s Senior Bowl)
  • Second-Team All-American (The Sporting News, PFF, The Athletic, USA Today Sports)
  • First-Team All-SEC (AP, PFF, Coaches, Phil Steele, USA Today Network)
  • 2021 Jacobs Blocking Trophy
  • 2021 Rotary Lombardi Award semifinalist
  • Outland Trophy semifinalist
  • Led the “Big Blue Wall” with 30 knockdown blocks
  • Pro Football Focus evaluated him as one of only three Power Five tackles to grade at 85 or better as both a run and pass blocker
  • Named SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week after UK’s win over Vanderbilt
  • Reese’s Senior Bowl invite

2020 – Junior

  • Second-Team All-American (Sporting News, CBS/247sports)
  • Third-Team All-American (AP)
  • Fourth-Team All-American (Phil Steele)
  • First-Team All-SEC (AP, Phil Steele, PFF)
  • Second-Team All-SEC (Coaches)
  • Has played in 33 career games with 26 consecutive starts at tackle
  • Started in all 11 games in 2020
  • Graded at 87.4 percent with 47 knockdowns and 142 blocks at the point of attack
  • Outland Trophy Watch List
  • Preseason Second-Team Offense All-American (Athlon Sports)
  • Preseason Fourth-Team All-American (Phil Steele)
  • Preseason First-Team All-SEC (Athlon Sports, Coaches, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)

2019 – Sophomore

  • Second-team offensive tackle (PFF)
  • Started in all 13 games at right tackle
  • Had 32 knockdowns during the season
  • Had only one penalty in 706 snaps
  • Helped set single-season school records with 3,624 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns, and 6.3 yards per carry
  • Against UT Martin, graded at 93 percent in helping lead Kentucky to two single-game school records — 462 rushing yards and 10.3 yards per rushing attempt … Had 13 blocks at the point of attack, including four plays that were touchdown runs … Did not allow any quarterback sacks and did not have any penalties or missed assignments

2018 – Freshman

  • Played in nine games, starting two of the last three at left tackle
  • Helped lead a Kentucky offensive line that blocked for numerous season highs this season
  • UK set season highs with 56 points, 601 yards total offense, 29 first downs and 340 rushing yards at Louisville … Graded at 84 percent … Had no penalties or missed assignments and did not allow any quarterback sacks … Credited with 16 blocks at the point of attack, including three long touchdown runs – Benny Snell’s 24-yard TD, A.J. Rose’s 75-yard untouched TD dash, and Kavosiey Smoke’s 37-yard TD

High School

  • Rated the 101st best player in the country and No. 16 offensive tackle as a four-star recruit by 247Sports
  • Rated a four-star by ESPN and a three-star by Rivals
  • Rivals rated him the No. 21 recruit in prospect-laden Ohio
  • 247Sports rated him one of the Top 20 offensive tackles in the country
  • Played at the powerhouse St. Ignatius program in Cleveland, which has won 11 state championships and three national championships under the direction of legendary coach Chuck Kyle
  • Massive player at 6-foot-5, 357 pounds
  • Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American game
  • All-State honoree in Ohio
  • Was the first offensive lineman to join Kentucky’s 2018 recruiting class
  • Chose Kentucky over Penn State, UCLA and Tennessee

Community Cats

  • Frequent visitor at Lexington VA Hospital (2019)

Personal

  • Born in Youngstown, Ohio
  • Son of Mandy Headrick
  • Major is kinesiology

Darian Says

  • His nickname is “D.K.”
  • The best part of being a Kentucky Wildcat is the love and family bonds he has with the Big Blue Nation and his teammates
  • Other than playing in the NFL, his dream job is to train athletes
  • If he could eat only three foods for the rest of his life he would eat steak, chicken alfredo and kettle corn
  • Most people don’t know that he is related to Dolly Parton
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