Kentucky needs Kiyaunta Goodwin to pay attention to honors Darian Kinnard has earned

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Darian Kinnard picked up three more postseason awards Wednesday. (UK Athletics Photo)

Kentucky is doing all it can to make sure 6-8, 330-pound offensive lineman Kiyaunta Goodwin of Charleston, Ind., keeps his verbal commitment to the Wildcats and signs with UK on Dec. 15. Coaches from Michigan, Alabama and Texas A&M have been making a big push for Goodwin, a five-start recruit, and all have made in-home visits this week. Kentucky is scheduled to do the same today after Alabama visited Wednesday. Goodwin did attend the UK-Southern basketball game in Lexington Tuesday night after Texas A&M visited him earlier in the day.

Kentucky’s best selling point for Goodwin right now could be senior offensive tackle Darien Kinnard who continues to amass postseason awards.

On Wednesday he added these honors:

— Kinnard was named to the third annual Reese’s Senior Bowl All-America Team based on a two-year evaluation that includes tape study, live-game exposures, objective data, football character, personal character and feedback from National Football League front office personnel.

— The Southeastern Conference’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been given annually since 1935 to the SEC’s top blocker. This year’s winner was Kinnard — the first UK player to receive the award since All-American Warren Bryant got it in 1976.

— Kinnard was a first-team CBS Sports/247Sports All-American pick.

Kinnard had already been a first-team all-SEC selection by the league coaches and Pro Football Focus, who evaluated him as one of only three Power Five tackles to  grade at 85 or better as both a run and pass blocker.

Goodwin should notice how others are recognizing what Kinnard has done from his right tackle spot and why he could be one of the first offensive linemen picked in the 2022 NFL draft.

He had 30 knockdown blocks this season and allowed only one quarterback sack in more than 350 pass plays.

Kinnard was a semifinalist for both the 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.

Kinnard was a big reason UK led the SEC in rushing yards before contact at 2.6 yards per try according to Pro Football Focus. The Cats averaged 6.57 yards per run and 206 yards rushing per game.

Kinnard will end his Kentucky career Jan. 1 in Orlando when Kentucky plays Iowa in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl.

3 Responses

  1. I have my doubts about Goodwin signing with UK now. He does not seem to be as excited about UK as he once was. Powerful SEC football programs are trying to steal him away. I sure hope Marrow can pull some magic as his recruiting goes down to the wire. Kentucky needs him bad! I also feel that some of these big time football programs are not doing things by the book, but that is JMO. How does one or two, or three schools always seem to get the cream of the crop every year? Goodwin can probably start at UK a lot sooner than at other places too. I hope he knows that.

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