| Kenneth Grant | |
| School: | Michigan Wolverines |
| Currentnumber: | 78 |
| Currentposition: | Defensive tackle |
| Class: | Junior |
| Birth Date: | 27 October 2003 |
| Birth Place: | Merrillville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Heightft: | 6 |
| Heightin: | 3 |
| Weight: | 339 |
| Highschool: | Merrillville (Merrillville, IN) |
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| Bowlgames: | |
| Highlights: |
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| Espn: | 4894654 |
Kenneth Grant (born October 27, 2003) is an American football defensive tackle for the Michigan Wolverines. He is a two-time All-Big Ten selection, and won a national championship in 2023.
Grant was born in 2003 in Merrillville, Indiana, the son of Kenneth Grant Sr. and Ewana Chatman. He attended Merrillville High School, where he played football as an offensive and defensive lineman. He also competed in the shot put for the track and field team.
As a senior, he totaled 38 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and blocked 8 kicks (four field goal attempts, two punts, and two extra point attempts), helping lead Merrillville to an undefeated regular season and a 12-1 overall record.[1] Grant was rated as a four star recruit, the #3 ranked player in Indiana, and the #102 overall ranked high school player in the country in 2022.[2]
Grant committed to the University of Michigan in September 2021, and enrolled in July 2022.[3] [4] In the 2022 season, Grant appeared in all 14 games on special teams and defensive line.[1] Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh called Grant "a gift from the football gods."[5] In August 2022, he was included on Bruce Feldman's annual list of college football "freaks".[6] He finished the season with 8 tackles.
Entering the 2023 season, Grant lost 20 pounds, dropping from 359 pounds to 339 pounds.[5] He won Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the season opener against East Carolina.[1] In the second game of the season, he tallied 4 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a batted ball and his first career sacks (1.5) against UNLV on September 9, 2023.[7]
On November 11, 2023, Grant chased down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen from behind to make a tackle and prevent a touchdown. The video of the 339-pound Grant chasing and tackling Allen went viral. Coach Jim Harbaugh called it "maybe one of the best plays ever."[8] [9] [10]
Grant helped Michigan win a national championship at the conclusion of the 2023 season.[11] He was named a second-team All-Big Ten selection for his contribution. Playing in all 15 games, Grant recorded 29 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, and 5 passes defended.[12] Grant's interception on September 30 versus Nebraska was the first of his career.[13]
Entering his junior season, Grant was ranked as one of the top interior defensive linemen in college football prior to the 2024 season.[14] [15] He is considered to be a first round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.[16] [17] [18] In week four against the USC Trojans, Grant recorded two tackles, recovered a fumble and had his first sack of the season.[19] In week five against Minnesota, he had two tackles, a batted ball and a sack.[20] In week nine versus Michigan State, Grant had two tackles, including one for a loss and a fumble recovery as Michigan defeated the Spartans 24-17.[21] In week eleven against Indiana, Grant had four tackles and a pass defended. In doing so, Grant moved ahead of Ryan Van Bergen for the most career pass breakups for a defensive lineman in Michigan football history with twelve.[22]