Football
Grant McKinniss - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 86

GrantMcKinniss

  • position Punter
  • height 6-1
  • Weight 204
  • class Senior
  • Hometown Findlay, Ohio
  • High school Findlay
2019 – Junior
  • Handled kickoffs again for the Cats, kicking 67 times for 4,134 yards and 48 touchbacks (61.7 average)
  • Also the Cats’ holder on field goals
  • Had one tackle
  • Kicked seven times for a 64.4 average and five touchbacks in the season opener vs. Toledo
  • Had a 65.0 average on four kicks vs. Florida and at Mississippi State
  • Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
  • Dean’s List (Fall 2019)
2018 – r-Sophomore
  • Handled all kickoffs for the Wildcats
  • Charted 66 kickoffs for 4,069 yards and 36 touchbacks (61.7)
  • Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll
2017 – Sophomore
  • Redshirt season
  • Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll
2016 – Freshman
  • Was a nominee for the Ray Guy Award given to the nation’s top punter
  • Ranked third among SEC freshman punters, averaging 39.2 yards per punt on the season
  • Had 10 punts inside the 20-yard line
  • Boomed a career-long 61-yard punt in the second quarter at Alabama
  • For the game at Alabama, averaged 44.7 yards on six punts, besting his previous high average of 43.4 versus Florida on Sept. 8
  • SEC First-year Academic Honor Roll (2016-17)
High School
  • A four-star recruit who is rated the nation’s No. 4 punter according to Scout
  • Earned Three Rivers Athletic Conference first-team honors as a placekicker four straight seasons and was a first-team selection as a punter three seasons in a row
  • Two-time first-team All-Northwest Ohio honoree
  • Converted 38 of 40 PAT kicks and 10 of 11 field goals, including a season-long 52-yarder as a senior
  • Averaged 39.4 yards on punts and put 11 of 32 kicks inside the 20-yard line
  • As a junior, averaged 40.8 yards on 41 punts, dropping 12 punts inside the 20-yard line
  • Converted 40 of 42 PAT attempts and was 5-for-8 in FG attempts, including a school-record 53-yarder
  • While kicking off in 2014, had 44 of his 60 kickoffs downed for touchbacks
  • Earned second-team All-State honors as a junior, marking his second consecutive year honored
  • Named MaxPreps 2012 Freshman All-American First Team
  • Also earned third team All-Ohio Division I as a freshman
  • For his career, connected on 148 of 159 PAT attempts and 29 field goals
  • His 235 points ties him for the sixth-highest total for points by a kicker in the Ohio prep football record books
  • One of the Elite 88 high school seniors selected to compete in the 10th annual Offense-Defense All-American Bowl and the 2016 Ohio High Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star Classic
  • Also letter three seasons as a guard on the basketball team
  • Chose Kentucky over Toledo, Clemson, Penn State, Purdue and Michigan State
Community Cats
  • Volunteer for God’s Pantry (2019)
Personal
  • Born in Findlay, Ohio
  • Son of Angie and Patrick McKinniss
  • Has one sister, Lauren
  • Graduated in May of 2020 with a degree in psychology … Currently working on a master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology 
Grant Says
  • One word to describe him on the field is “emotionless”
  • His sport hero is Kobe Bryant because he’s a legend
  • When he’s not playing football he enjoys spending time with family and friends
  • After his football career, he would like to be a health and wellness consultant
  • He chose Kentucky because he liked the family feel
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