Former Alabama defensive back Ga’Quincy ‘Kool-Aid’ McKinstry is likely to be selected in the first round of next week’s NFL Draft. His college football career was almost very different.
He almost went to Auburn!
McKinstry, a native of the Yellowhammer State, was the top-ranked defensive back as a five-star prospect in the recruiting Class of 2021. Every major recruiting site considered him to be a top-15 player overall. 27 schools offered him a scholarship.
From that ninth grade on, everybody wanted him. It was crazy.
— Pinson Valley head football coach Patrick Nix, via AL.com
Although programs like Georgia, LSU, Oregon and Clemson were in the mix, his decision came down to the two major in-state programs. The Crimson Tide and Tigers were McKinstry’s top two choices.
At first, it was actually the latter which had the upper hand!
He was going to go to Auburn… until he wasn’t. McKinstry recently spoke with AL.com ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft and revealed that he changed his mind shortly after telling the staff on The Plains that he was going to play for the Tigers. It took him three days to realize that he made the wrong decision. His mother always knew that a flip was imminent.
“I actually told Auburn I was going to commit to them publicly but I woke up three days later and was like, HELL NAH!” – Kool Aid McKinstry
— TC Vidz (@VidzTc) April 16, 2024
Road To The Pros Episode 1
🎥: @aldotcomTide pic.twitter.com/OOffxRCwTp
McKinstry committed to Alabama on Oct. 25, 2020 and the rest is history!
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound cornerback made 93 tackles (62 solo) with two interceptions, two sacks and 23 passes deflected in three years. His most impressive stats are actually his lack of stats during his senior season.
Opponents did not throw toward or run at McKinstry. They avoided him like the plague.
As a result of his impressive career with the Crimson Tide, and a blazing fast 40-yard dash, it is expected that he will be a first round pick at the NFL Draft next week. It would be the steal of the draft if he somehow slips into the second round— but that won’t happen.
McKinstry was a key contributor to Alabama’s three-straight top-five finishes. That could have been Auburn. He said “HELL NAH!”