Steven Kinney Steven Kinney 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL/DL Nitro | 2028 State WV moves over to the offensive line in the rankings in this update, his best position right now. We still believe in his potential along the defensive line, especially with his shorter frame, but film is too limited to properly evaluate him there. Kinney is a natural at OL and has performed at a high level for his age since his freshman season. His feet and athleticism are top-notch and should be enough to overcome length limitations as a college prospect in the future.

Nitro’s Steven Kinney Steven Kinney 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL/DL Nitro | 2028 State WV is emerging as one of the top OL/DL prospects in the 2028 class as the Wildcats enter the semifinals. While he made an impression as a freshman offensive lineman in 2024, Kinney’s size, strength, and athleticism project even better on the defensive front. Kinney’s combination of power and quickness makes him a player to watch closely as Nitro relies on him up front in key playoff matchups.

Our early top defensive line prospect in the 2028 class is Nitro’s Steven Kinney Steven Kinney 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL/DL Nitro | 2028 State WV . He did an excellent job as a freshman starting offensive lineman in 2024, but we love his future as a DL prospect. We’ll see if he gets reps there this season with some talented seniors in place, but Kinney has a bright future in their program as a big man prospect.

Here’s what we recently said about Kinney in our 2028 Rankings Debut article:

“ Steven Kinney Steven Kinney 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL/DL Nitro | 2028 State WV was a very good offensive lineman for Nitro as a freshman, but debuts in our rankings as the #1 defensive line prospect. That may be a bold move based on having very little experience at that position last season, but Kinney showed a lot of potential there at a camp this summer. His size better projects along the defensive line as a college prospect, and Kinney has the physicality and quickness to develop well at that spot. He’s likely to get more reps on that side of the ball as a sophomore and show the potential we saw from him this summer.”

Steven Kinney Steven Kinney 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL/DL Nitro | 2028 State WV was a very good offensive lineman for Nitro as a freshman, but debuts in our rankings as the #1 defensive line prospect. That may be a bold move based on having very little experience at that position last season, but Kinney showed a lot of potential there at a camp this summer. His size better projects along the defensive line as a college prospect, and Kinney has the physicality and quickness to develop well at that spot. He’s likely to get more reps on that side of the ball as a sophomore and show the potential we saw from him this summer.

I liked 2028 Nitro lineman Steven Kinney Steven Kinney 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL/DL Nitro | 2028 State WV as an offensive lineman before Saturday’s showcase, where he started as a freshman for the Wildcats. However, after seeing him perform as an interior defensive lineman in 1-on-1s, his future may just be brightest on the defensive side of the ball. Size was always going to be an uphill battle as an OL prospect even with very strong freshman film, but Kinney can excel at DL with his skill set. He’s very physical for his age with a nasty streak to utilize and showed quality pass rush moves and quickness off the line for a young interior DL at the camp.

Another varsity starting offensive lineman as a freshman was Steven Kinney Steven Kinney 6'0" | 260 lbs | OL/DL Nitro | 2028 State WV for the Nitro Wildcats. While he’s not as big as some other OL in the 2028 class, Kinney has some of the best film and is playing the position like a veteran early on. He’s a nasty and physical blocker with good athleticism that allows him to pull and get out in space effortlessly. Kinney’s short-area quickness is impressive for his age and he gets to the second level of the defense very quickly. He’s very physical at the point of attack with violent hands and punches that stymie bigger defensive linemen throughout his freshman tape. Physical growth these next three years will determine his ceiling as a prospect, but Kinney has put himself in the conversation for the top offensive lineman in the 2028 class at this early juncture on film alone.