Kenneth Grant snubbed in preseason All-America teams

Chris Breiler | Aug 14, 2024

Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) celebrates a sack on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff national championship game against Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Monday, January 8, 2024. / Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Wednesday, ESPN, CBS Sports, and Sporting News all released their preseason All-America teams. It didn't come as much of a surprise to see Mason Graham (DL), Will Johnson (CB), and Colston Loveland (TE) all appear on the first-team unit. All three guys are expected to be the top players at their respective positions in 2024, and all three are projected to be first-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. But it did come as a surprise that Kenneth Grant didn't make an appearance on any of the first or second team units.

Although Mason Graham gets plenty of attention as part of Michigan's defensive front (and rightfully so), many view Kenneth Grant as a guy who is just as capable of taking over a game defensively. In fact, Pro Football Network projected Grant as a first-round selection by the Atlanta Falcons in their latest mock draft, highlighting just how highly he's thought of by those who are paying attention.

No. 21 on @JBooty88's list of Top 24 #B1GFootball Players hails from @UMichFootball.

DL Kenneth Grant is "an absolute nightmare" to game plan for. 😱 pic.twitter.com/13W8bRmo7P

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 13, 2024

At 6-3, 340 pounds, Grant is an absolute menace in the middle of the Michigan defense. There's no question that he can fill gaps and take up plenty of space, but his athleticism is also impossible to ignore. During the 2023 season, Grant chased down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen from behind for a touchdown saving tackle. Former U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh said that it was one of the greatest plays he's ever seen. That type of size, speed, and power is why Grant was recently listed at No. 3 overall on The Athletic's annual 'freaks' list.

"His ability to fly up Michigan's reactive plyo stairs test, a series of seven 26-inch-high stairs that players attempt to jump up as fast as possible, is truly freakish. This offseason, Grant pressed a 115-pound dumbbell 34 times on his right and 27 times on his left. He vertical-jumped 29 inches and did a Turkish get-up with a 150-pound dumbbell."

While you'd certainly like to see Grant get the attention he deserves, the reality is that preseason awards and accolades essentially mean nothing. Given how critical he is to Michigan's success defensively, Grant have plenty of opportunities to make his case when it matters most on fall Saturdays.

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