MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — University High kicker/punter Billy Kinney expects, as of now, to accept a preferred walk-on opportunity to stay in Morgantown and play for WVU.
“So far I have verbally committed to West Virginia as a preferred walk-on,” Kinney said last week on the MetroNews High School Sportsline. “I’m still keeping my options open. Marshall has guaranteed me four years on scholarship, but the first year I would have to redshirt. I just feel West Virginia right now is the best spot for me.”
Kinney had a strong junior year with the Hawks, but a foot injury plagued him throughout this past season.
“I’m back – I’ve been kicking a lot lately and I’ve been doing everything,” Kinney said. “It’s getting a lot better and I’m pretty much good. (The rehab process) wasn’t any fun – it was a lot of patience and time going to physical therapy.
“It was difficult and hard to deal with seeing everyone else out there playing on Friday night. I was really happy though when I did get to come back and play – that was an awesome feeling,” he said.
In December, Kinney was the lone player from West Virginia who participated in the Chesapeake Bowl in Virginia.
“It was a lot of fun – I had a great experience. It was like our first college game,” he said. “I had the opening kickoff and the rest of the game I did punts.”
Kinney said he’s open to both kicking and punting at the next level.