Per GoBearcats:
Cincinnati redshirt senior right guard Luke Kandra was named to the Preseason All-America Second Team by the Walter Camp Football Foundation earlier this week.
The Walter Camp All-America team is the nation’s oldest and one of the most prestigious All-America teams.
The Cincinnati native and Elder High School graduate also collected preseason All-Big 12 honors on Tuesday.
Kandra became just the seventh Bearcat to earn Walter Camp All-America honors in 2023, collecting second team mention following his breakout season last fall.
The Louisville transfer ranked as the third-best Power Five guard (81.8) according to PFF while starting all 12 games and leading UC with 79 knockdowns in 2023. He returns as the country’s top-graded P4 right guard in 2024 and will anchor an offensive line that returns all five starters. Cincinnati finished fifth nationally in rushing (217.1 ypg) in 2023 behind Kandra and running back Corey Kiner (1,047 yards), who also returns.
Kandra already holds a degree in interdisciplinary studies and is on track to earn his MBA this December. Additionally, he is set to marry his fiancé, Alex Smith, later this month.
In June, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds versus Cleveland Guardians game at Great American Ballpark alongside women’s basketball star Jillian Hayes as part of the “Reigns and Reds” promotion to raise funds for Cincy Reigns, the official NIL Collective of Cincinnati Athletics. He will join Kiner, Derrick Canteen and Mason Fletcher as Cincinnati’s Big 12 Media Days representatives on Tuesday.
Kandra Career Accolades
2023 University of Cincinnati Graduate
2024 Preseason All-America Second Team (Walter Camp)
2024 Preseason All-America Second Team (Phil Steele)
2024 Preseason All-Big 12
2023 All-Big 12 First Team (AP)
2023 All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches)
2023 Walter Camp All-America Second Team
2023 Associated Press All-America Third Team
2023 All-Portal Team (The Athletic and On3)
2023 The Athletic Midseason All-Transfer Team
