Kool-Aid McKinstry, former USA TODAY HSSA Male Athlete of the Year, enters NFL Draft

Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry reacts after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The former USA TODAY High School Sports Awards Male Athlete of the Year announced Thursday that he will enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

Kool-Aid McKinstry, the 2021 USA TODAY High School Sports Awards Male Athlete of the Year, announced Thursday that he will forgo his senior season at Alabama and enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

The news was first reported by ESPN and later confirmed by McKinstry on his Instagram page.

“I am so proud of what I have accomplished at the University of Alabama,” McKinstry said in the post. “I’m ready to take the next step.”

McKinstry was a standout basketball and football star at Pinson Valley High School in Alabama, winning state championships in both sports. He focused on football during his senior year, catching 45 passes for 706 yards as a wide receiver on offense while grabbing two interceptions as a 5-star cornerback on defense. He helped Pinson Valley win the 6A state championship, the school’s third in his four seasons, in December before joining the Crimson Tide as an early enrollee the following spring.

McKinstry formed one of the top cornerback duos in the nation this fall along with Terrion Arnold, helping the Crimson Tide reach the College Football Playoff for the third time in four years. The Crimson Tide lost to Michigan, 27-20, in overtime at the Rose Bowl in the national semifinals to end its season at 12-2 overall.

USA TODAY’s Draft Wire ranked McKinstry as the No. 4 prospect on its cornerback big board entering college bowl season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kool-Aid McKinstry enters 2024 NFL Draft


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kool-aid-mckinstry-former-usa-230020606.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-01-04 23:00:20

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Check Also

College football odds, picks, predictions for 2024-25 bowl season, playoffs: Model backs Michigan, LSU

The 2024-25 college football bowl schedule begins on Dec. 14 and continues through January, culminating …