On February 4th, Mobile’s game will be held at Hancock-Whitney Stadium and over a hundred of the nation’s draft hopeful seniors will descend on the Gulf Coast for a week of practice in front of scouts from every NFL team before the Senior Bowl. Leading up to the game, we’ll take a look at a different prospect every day and talk about their background, their college career, where they could be drafted, and how the Senior Bowl could help them. Today, we’ll take a look at back-to-back national champion Georgia’s running back Kenny McIntosh:
Background:
McIntosh is a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended the University School. According to 247 Composite Rankings, he was the 11th ranked running back in the class of 2019 and the 24th ranked player in the talent-rich state of Florida. He chose to commit to Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs over Miami, Alabama, Auburn, and Oklahoma. Originally excelling as a DB, he was named to MaxPreps’ 2015 Freshman All-American First Team Defense before switching to running back his sophomore year.
College Career:
If Alabama isn’t Running Back U, Georgia has made a strong case over the last decade to stake their claim. As talented as he is, McIntosh didn’t really take over as the lead back in the Bulldogs offense until this season due to the fact that there have been other backs ahead of him. His freshman year, the room was led by Bulldog legend DeAndre Swift, and until 2022, McIntosh was below Zamir White and James Cook on the depth chart.
McIntosh didn’t let this stop him from making an impact, however, being named co-special teams newcomer of the year by the team and averaging 7.0 YPC on just 25 carries his freshman campaign. Obviously, his senior year was his best statistically, rushing for 829 yards and 10 touchdowns on 150 carries (5.5 YPC) along with 43 receptions for another 504 yards and two more scores. Steadily seeing more work each season, McIntosh waited his turn, got better, and seized his opportunity this year to shine when the lights were brightest. Take a look at some of his best plays throughout his career:
Current Draft Projection:
As a running back who was extremely productive this season and does not have a lot of tread on his tires, McIntosh will likely be a mid-Day 2 pick. This is a deep running back group which features stars such as Texas’ Bijan Robinson and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs, but McIntosh has skills that will translate at the next level. His ability to catch the ball is extremely impressive and will likely earn him an earlier draft spot. It’s tough to predict on running backs, but McIntosh’s combination of size and speed should land him on Day 2:
How the Senior Bowl Could Help Him:
Running back is a position where players are more closely bunched together than anywhere else in terms of the difference between prospects. McIntosh has what you are looking for in an NFL back in terms of a combination of skills. He certainly can improve upon his pass blocking, as is the case for most running back prospects. Being coached up at the Senior Bowl will offer him an opportunity to improve in this area as well as demonstrate his football IQ to teams during the interview portions. He won’t be able to get into the first round, but McIntosh has a chance to stand out from a talented running back group in Mobile.
