Brandon McKinney

Regarded as one of the strongest players in the game, McKinney is a perfect fit to play nose guard at the next level with his stout frame, barrel chest, big bubble and thick legs. While he does not have the lofty statistics of most interior down linemen, his raw strength and impressive lateral agility for a player of his size will make him an inviting late draft target. McKinney was a two-year starter on the defensive line at Chaminade-Julienne High School. The Prep Star All-American selection ranked among the Midwest's top 50 prospects (No. 44) by Super Prep and was rated among Ohio's top ten prospects. In both of his seasons on the gridiron, he earned Associated Press All-State honors. McKinney enrolled at Michigan State in 2001, but was academically ineligible to play. He played in eleven games at nose guard in 2002, starting four contests, but also missed the Northwestern clash with lower back muscle spasms. He produced 26 tackles (16 solos) with two sacks and 3.5 stops for losses in his first season with the varsity. Nagging right ankle and foot problems saw McKinney only see brief action in the 2003 season opener vs. Western Michigan before the coaching staff decided to shut him down for the year. Surgery on his foot to repair a navicular fracture was a success and he returned to start every game in 2004. He collected a career-high 42 tackles (31 solos) with an assisted sack, two stops behind the line of scrimmage, three pressures and a fumble recovery. In 2005, McKinney became the veteran leader of a young defense. He also excelled off the field, as the Interdisciplinary Studies major spent his spare time working with King-Chavez-Parks Initiative, where young children from all over Michigan get to come to a day camp to experience college life. He plugged the middle of the line, but was hobbled early in the year by an ankle sprain that kept him out of the Hawaii game and limited his playing time in several other contests. He finished his senior year with 25 tackles (14 solos) and a pass deflection. In 34 games at Michigan State, McKinney started 26 times. He recorded 93 tackles (61 solos) with 2.5 sacks for minus 11 yards and 5.5 stops for losses of 12 yards. He was credited with three quarterback pressures, as he recovered a fumble and deflected one pass.

michigan state university spartans

#99

negatives

Has stamina issues and looks lethargic due to his excess weight and needs to drop about twenty pounds to be more effective moving off the snap...Has the strength to dominate, but it is often negated, as he is slow to get off the snap and plays too high to defeat blocks, as he fails to get leverage...Can stack and control, but needs to be more active with his hands when trying to shed...Will give effort moving down the line, but is too heavy to get good lateral movement...Lacks the change of direction agility to close on the quarterback...Seems to shut down when his initial move does not work...Does not get a push off the line in order to be effective as a pass rusher...Needs to do a better job of recognizing blocking schemes...Prides himself as a leader, but is not one who will take the techniques he is taught and apply them on the field.

6

01.1-324

positives

Has a very thick, stout frame with big hips, thick thighs, barrel chest and huge bubble...Flashes a functional short area burst, but is best when stationed and anchored at the line of scrimmage...Lacks any speed, but has some straight-line quickness to take on blocks working in-line...Effective using his frame to stack and control at the line of scrimmage...Has the size and strength to anchor vs. double teams, but only when he manages to keep his pads down...Strong wrap-up tackler with a punishing hand punch to shock and jolt...Two-gap type that plays on his feet and knows how to lean into an isolated blocker to prevent from getting pushed around...When he manages to get his hands inside, the blocker is quickly neutralized.

trotwood, ohio

Chaminade Julienne High School

brandon mckinney

Nose Guard

2002: Sat out the Northwestern game (9/28) with lower back muscle spasms. 2003: Bothered by a right ankle ligament sprain in June...Suffered a right foot navicular fracture during August camp, missing the team's final twelve games after making a brief appearance in the season opener vs. Western Michigan. Underwent surgery on the foot on Dec. 15. 2005: Sat out the Hawaii game (9/10) and saw limited action vs. Notre Dame and Illinois due to a high ankle sprain.

Campus: 5.43 in the 40-yard dash

530-pound bench press

Bench presses 225 pounds 36 times

470-pound squat

4.69 20-yard shuttle

7.69 three-cone drill

25.5-inch vertical jump

7'8" broad jump

32 ¾-inch arm length

9 ½-inch hands

Right-handed

19/38 Wonderlic score.

Attended Chaminade-Julienne (Dayton, Oh.) High School, playing football for head coach Jim Place

Two-year starter on the defensive line

The Prep Star All-American selection ranked among the Midwest's top 50 prospects (No. 44) by Super Prep and was rated among Ohio's top ten prospects

In both of his seasons on the gridiron, he earned Associated Press All-State honors.

Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science ? Community Relations major

Worked with King-Chavez-Parks Initiative, where young children from all over Michigan get to come to a day camp to experience college life

Son of Tim and Ava McKinney

Born 8/24/83

Resides in Trotwood, Ohio.