TicketsCINCINNATI – Offensive linemen Luke Kandra and John Williams and running back Corey Kiner headline a talented crop of Cincinnati football players who will look to make the leap to the next level heading into this weekend's NFL Draft.
The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wis. at Lambeau Field and begins with Round 1 on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET. Rounds 2 and 3 will be televised on Friday beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, and coverage of Rounds 4-7 will begin at noon on Saturday. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network, and NFL+ will have television coverage of the entire draft.
The Bearcats have had a player drafted in each of the last 10 NFL Drafts and have had 17 players drafted since 2021. The trio of Kandra, Kiner, and Williams highlight UC's draft hopefuls.
Kandra was one of the top guards in the nation during his two seasons at Cincinnati, earning All-Big 12 honors both years and being picked to the Walter Camp and Associated Press All-America teams in 2023. He was the top-rated right guard in the Big 12 according to Pro Football Focus in both 2023 and 2024. The Cincinnati native allowed just one sack over 24 games as a Bearcat.
Kiner spent three years with the Bearcats, and the former Ohio Mr. Football and Cincinnati native finished his career with 2.562 rushing yards, ranking eighth all-time in program history. He rushed for 1,153 yards in 2024, becoming the fifth Cincinnati player ever with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Should Kiner be drafted, he would be the first UC running back selected since Jerome Ford in 2022, when Ford was picked in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.
Williams wrapped up his career at Cincinnati by starting 24 straight games at left tackle and appeared in 52 games total as a Bearcat. He appeared in 12 games, starting three, for the 2021 team that advanced to the College Football Playoff. Williams could become the 14th member of the 2021 team to be selected in the NFL Draft.
The last Cincinnati offensive lineman taken in the NFL Draft was James Hudson in 2021, a fourth round pick of the Cleveland Browns. Since the Super Bowl era began in 1966, the Bearcats have never had multiple offensive linemen selected in the same draft class.
Last month, 14 players represented Cincinnati at the Big 12's Pro Day in Frisco, Texas:
// 2025 NFL DRAFT SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 24: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET
Friday, April 25: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 26: Rounds 4-7, Noon ET
Fans can watch the draft live on NFL Network, NFL+, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes.
The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wis. at Lambeau Field and begins with Round 1 on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET. Rounds 2 and 3 will be televised on Friday beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, and coverage of Rounds 4-7 will begin at noon on Saturday. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network, and NFL+ will have television coverage of the entire draft.
The Bearcats have had a player drafted in each of the last 10 NFL Drafts and have had 17 players drafted since 2021. The trio of Kandra, Kiner, and Williams highlight UC's draft hopefuls.
Kandra was one of the top guards in the nation during his two seasons at Cincinnati, earning All-Big 12 honors both years and being picked to the Walter Camp and Associated Press All-America teams in 2023. He was the top-rated right guard in the Big 12 according to Pro Football Focus in both 2023 and 2024. The Cincinnati native allowed just one sack over 24 games as a Bearcat.
Kiner spent three years with the Bearcats, and the former Ohio Mr. Football and Cincinnati native finished his career with 2.562 rushing yards, ranking eighth all-time in program history. He rushed for 1,153 yards in 2024, becoming the fifth Cincinnati player ever with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Should Kiner be drafted, he would be the first UC running back selected since Jerome Ford in 2022, when Ford was picked in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.
Williams wrapped up his career at Cincinnati by starting 24 straight games at left tackle and appeared in 52 games total as a Bearcat. He appeared in 12 games, starting three, for the 2021 team that advanced to the College Football Playoff. Williams could become the 14th member of the 2021 team to be selected in the NFL Draft.
The last Cincinnati offensive lineman taken in the NFL Draft was James Hudson in 2021, a fourth round pick of the Cleveland Browns. Since the Super Bowl era began in 1966, the Bearcats have never had multiple offensive linemen selected in the same draft class.
Last month, 14 players represented Cincinnati at the Big 12's Pro Day in Frisco, Texas:
- RB Corey Kiner
- WR Xzavier Henderson
- WR Jamoi Mayes
- TE Joey Beljan
- OL Luke Kandra
- OL Dartanyan Tinsley
- OL Phillip Wilder
- OL John Williams
- DB Derrick Canteen
- DB Mehki Miller
- DB Josh Minkins
- LB Jared Bartlett
- DL Eric Phillips
- K Nathan Hawks
// 2025 NFL DRAFT SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 24: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET
Friday, April 25: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 26: Rounds 4-7, Noon ET
Fans can watch the draft live on NFL Network, NFL+, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes.