Darian Kinnard might have been a first-round draft pick if John Schlarman had still been coaching him -- or at least that is what Vince Marrow believes. (Photo by UK Athletics)
Darian Kinnard went from an All-American season and projected first-round NFL draft pick to the 145th player selected by Kansas City in the fifth round.
Kentucky associate coach Vince Marrow said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk that he was sure Kinnard was a “lock” for at least a second-round selection and thought NFL personnel may have way over evaluated and over thought Kinnard’s status.
However, Marrow also had another interesting perspective.
“I really believe if coach (John) Schlarman was still living Darian would have been a first-round pick. No doubt in my mind,” said Marrow.
Schlarman coached Kinnard for almost three seasons before his passing during the 2020 season. Last year Eric Wolford came from South Carolina to coach UK’s line. He left abruptly for Alabama after the 2021 season ended.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said when new line coach Zach Yenser was hired that he faced a harder job because basically anyone could have coached UK’s offensive line last year with three NFL draft picks playing there. Turns out there were only two — third-round pick Luke Fortner and Kinnard — because tackle Dare Rosenthal went undrafted.
Marrow said Schlarman “understood” Kinnard and would have helped him navigate the draft process more.
Marrow is having no part of teams finding off-field issues that hurt Kinnard’s draft status.
“I recruited him since he was in 10th grade. He’s not an introvert but he is a guy who stays to himself,” Marrow said. “There’s no cleaner guy off the field than Darian. He is a high character young man.”
Marrow said when the draft got to the third round and Kinnard was not picked, he had football friends tell him it was “crazy” that his name had not been called.
The UK recruiting coordinator also bought up former Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith. He dropped from a potential first-round pick in 2021 to the sixth round but he was also the starting right guard last season for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Marrow said he talked to Kinnard about the process and what came next.
“I told him no matter where you go, thank the Good Lord and you play pissed off,” Marrow said. “It just happens sometimes. He could easily be the right tackle next year. Sometimes in the draft you want to slide. You sometimes can go to a place where you don’t win and be miserable or you can go to the Chiefs and play for high stakes.”
“I think he will shock a lot of people. Remember this conversation and we will re-visit it in two years.”
