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Miami Herald
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
‘Always going to get that effort.' Why Kenneth Grant could be a much-needed ‘culture changer'
There's one play that ultimately stands out when you watch Kenneth Grant's tape. It happened in Beaver Stadium on Nov. 11, 2023. Penn State running back Kaytron Allen burst through the hole with nothing but green grass in front of him. Then, all of a sudden, you see a 6-foot-4-inch, 300-lb nose tackle begin to creep into the screen. Getting closer. And closer. And closer — until he finally drags Allen down from behind, saving a potential touchdown run. 'I give that effort every play,' the former Michigan Wolverine said Friday. 'Whether I'm in there or coaching guys that's in there, I'm always stressing run to the ball so you're always going to get that effort out of me.' The Miami Dolphins made Grant a first-round pick Thursday, selecting him with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That he plays with intense effort is only part of his story; as he lists what he wants to accomplish in the league – Super Bowl champion, Walter Payton Man of the Year, etc. – it's clear that Grant brings not only an unique combination of size and speed but also leadership traits that can make him a beloved teammate. 'One of the best guys in the league – on and off the field, to be honest,' Grant said when asked about his goals for the year. 'I want to accomplish the Man of the Year Award, but I also want to accomplish winning a Super Bowl, winning all of the individual accolades for myself. But my ultimate goal is a Super Bowl, for sure.' Added Grant: 'I just want to be a good role model in my community, from where I grew up from, show those guys there's a way out and you can make it. I'm living proof.' Such lofty goals are by no accident. Coaches and media pundits have raved about Grant for years. 'He's a generational talent inside,' Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore told Michigan Live in December. 'He's a guy that can stop the running and rush the passer, which is very hard to find with those guys inside. Plays with great leverage, great hands, great effort. An extremely smart football player. Wouldn't be surprised if he's the first pick in the draft.' 'Given his size, his strength, his speed, his quickness, his ability to change direction, the effort that he displays, I'd say [he's] a freak,' Michigan strength and conditioning coach Justin Tress told The Michigan Daily in September. 'It's freaky to be able to do that and to do that consistently.' 'This might have been my favorite player in the whole draft,' former football coach turned media personality Jon Gruden said Thursday. 'This guy comes out of the stack. You want to throw a bubble screen over there, Kenneth Grant will walk you down. He comes out of the trash, this guy plays his ass off. I love Kenneth Grant. He's a three-technique – a guy who can play on the outside shoulder of the guard – and he can move. He's a great football player.' Even former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh called Grant's chase down of Allen 'one of the best plays ever' in 2023. 'It was a guardian of victory type of play,' said Harbaugh, the current coach of the Los Angeles Chargers who also previously deemed Grant 'gift from the football gods.' 'Kenneth was dominant in the game. He was the real tone-setter right from the first series.' The word 'tone-setter' should not be overlooked. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has talked at length about the need to change the 'tonality' for the 2025 Dolphins. And he's right: the Dolphins, unfortunately, are primarily seen as soft. That needs to change and it's clear the franchise believes Grant can be a catalyst in that regard. 'It was important to have a tonality set for the 2025 Dolphins and adding a real presence up front and just a player that is going to attack it and try to play to the tonality that we aspire to,' McDaniel said. So it should be no surprise that Grant even considers himself a 'culture changer,' one who has won at every level he has been at. In his mind, why would that change in Miami? 'Before I went to Merrillville [High School], we were 1-9,' Grant recalled. 'Then right after that, we went to four straight semi-states. Then, going to Michigan, never beating Ohio State before. Then the year before I got there, we won it and then when I got there, we carried on that legacy. So I think I'm a culture changer for a winning culture, for sure.' And while Grant's own mother has previously referred to him as 'a gentle giant,' everything changes when he steps in between the white lines. 'Whether it's in practice or in the game, I'm always ready to go because on the field, it's no friends, to be honest,' Grant said. 'So I mean everybody is trying to get their individual goals, so you're not going to let another man take your goal. That's how I think of it.' That Grant, in his own words, won't 'let another man take' his goal is more than just football jargon; it's how a man that weighs more than 300 lbs. can have both the ability and effort to track down a tailback. 'What I was proud of is, out of all things ability-wise, that's purely his effort and his mindset to have to go redirect, retrace and chase down that running back,' Tress said. 'That's more so than his ability. His ability allowed him to do it. His effort is what made him do it.'
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin to host transfer wide receiver, former Michigan Wolverine on multi-day visit
Wisconsin to host transfer wide receiver, former Michigan Wolverine on multi-day visit Wisconsin is hosting West Georgia transfer wide receiver Karmello English on a visit this week, according to his agent. English is set to visit Madison on Monday, April 21, and Tuesday, April 22. The Badgers appear to be emerging from a large group of programs interested in the wide receiver, one that reportedly includes Toledo, Coastal Carolina, Austin Peay, North Alabama, Jacksonville State, Temple, Buffalo, Ball State, Baylor, Missouri State, Appalachian State and FAU. English entered the transfer portal last week after one season at West Georgia (Football Championship Subdivision). He originally began his career at Michigan, where he signed as a four-star recruit, the No. 188 overall player and the No. 26 wide receiver in the class of 2023. The Phenix City, Alabama, native caught one pass for a four-yard touchdown during his one season with the Wolverines. He then excelled as a sophomore at West Georgia in 2024, finishing second on the team in both receptions (48) and receiving yards (693). He also added two receiving touchdowns to that tally. The 5-foot-11 wideout also returned punts during each of his first two collegiate seasons. He totaled 130 return yards on 18 opportunities as West Georgia's primary punt returner last season. English is in the portal with two years of eligibility remaining. 247Sports has yet to assign him a transfer rating. Wisconsin is looking to add depth to its wide receiver corps after the transfer departures of Mark Hamper and Quincy Burroughs. English is one of several reported interests, along with Quaron Adams (South Dakota) and Xavier Loyd (Illinois State). With English scheduled for a multi-day visit to Madison this week, the receiver's only reported visit to date, it's reasonable to put him atop the Badgers' transfer receiver big board. For more on the program's spring transfer movement, bookmark our 2025 spring window tracker. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
17-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Steelers can't ignore 'next Cam Heyward' in 2025 NFL Draft
In what can only be described as a potential 'worlds collide' moment in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers may need to draft a Michigan Wolverine DT to eventually replace the great Cameron Heyward. Michigan DT Kenneth Grant, regarded as one of the better interior defenders in the 2025 NFL Draft, would be a slam dunk selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st overall pick in the first round. Grant, listed at 6'3″ and 339 lbs, is more than NFL-ready on size alone and is one of the best run defenders in this year's draft class. He could instantly start next to both Heyward and NT Keeanu Benton. Kenneth Grant is a MENACE at the center of a defense. He constantly draws double teams but has still managed 8 sacks, 50 pressures, and 39 run stops in the last two seasons. He's all of 6'3, 342lbs and is an INCREDIBLE athlete at that size. Could end up a top 10 pick. — NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 31, 2025 Heyward, one of the most beloved Buckeye alumni, may need to put aside the bitter Ohio State-Michigan rivalry to mentor Grant, but the interior defensive line upside with Grant, Heyward, and Benton would be too incredible to pass up. Ultimately, if the Pittsburgh Steelers truly hope to rebuild and add some young blood to the defensive line, there may be no one better than Grant in the latter half of the 2025 NFL Draft.
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy shares the news every fan wants to hear
J.J. McCarthy did not have the rookie season that he or anyone had expected. The team was expected to transition him into the starting role mid-season after Sam Darnold got the season off the ground. Instead, McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury after his lone preseason game in August, and Darnold went on to have an MVP-caliber season. The Vikings and their fans want to see J.J. McCarthy in 2025, and on Tuesday, he shared the news everyone wanted to hear. During Super Bowl media days, J.J. McCarthy made virtual appearances, one of which was with Sports Illustrated. During his media spot, the former Michigan Wolverine shared that he is 'ahead of schedule' and that he is excited to participate in the OTAs. He is counting down the days to the organized team activities, saying, 'I will be ready in 67 days.' McCarthy is expected to start for the Vikings in 2025, as the team looks to build on its successful 2024 season. While replicating 14 wins is no easy task, the team is returning many key players and its entire staff from that season. Both of those are good news for the quarterback the Vikings have invested so much in.
