It’s been a month since the Kentucky football program took a hit from the transfer portal, so they were due.
Multiple reports late last week indicated that Grant McKinniss is likely leaving the Wildcats via the NCAA transfer database. A Kentucky football official has since confirmed that the placekicker is indeed listed in Ye Olde Portal.
Now, for what’s seemingly becoming a daily disclaimer when it comes to transfers.
As we’ve stated myriad times in the past, a player can remove his name from the portal and remain at the same school. At this point, though, other programs are permitted to contact a player without receiving permission from his current football program.
NCAA bylaws also permit schools to pull a portal entrant’s scholarship at the end of the semester in which he entered it.
McKinniss was a three-star member of the Kentucky football Class of 2016. The Ohio native was rated as the No. 7 punter in the country. As a true freshman, McKinniss averaged 39.2 yards per punt. That number was third among freshmen in the SEC.
After taking a redshirt in 2017, McKinniss served as the kickoff specialist for the Wildcats the past two seasons. The kicker/punter would be leaving Lexington a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
McKinniss is the sixth Kentucky football player to enter the portal in a little over a month. Five of those came in a span of a week.
The first day of May, Kentucky saw two players take their first steps toward leaving the football team. First, defensive lineman Cavon Butler entered his name into the NCAA transfer database. A little over an hour later, teammate and fellow defensive lineman Davoan Hawkins did the same. Three days later, wide receiver Marvin Alexander popped a squat in the portal as well. Four days after Alexander, quarterback Amani Gilmore hit the portal as well.
Butler (Toledo) and Gilmore (North Texas) have since moved on.