Kenny Irons’ father, David Sr., worked as an NFL player advisor. His uncle is former Buffalo Bills and current Oakland Raiders linebacker Grant Irons. His brother David also plays for Auburn and is a 2007 NFL draft prospect at cornerback. Kenny attended Dacula High School in Dacula, Georgia where he rushed for 1,985 yards as a senior. He was named county “back of the year” and was selected to play in the Georgia-Florida all-star game. Kenny accepted a scholarship to South Carolina where he carried the ball 47 times for 207 yards as a true freshman. He also caught 4 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown on the year. As a sophomore, Kenny started one game, rushing 19 times for 51 yards and a touchdown. He added 2 receptions for 8 yards. Kenny wanted to go to a school where he could get more playing time. He transferred to Auburn, sitting out the 2004 season due to NCAA transfer rules. After losing Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown the the NFL draft in 2005, Kenny emerged as the Tigers’ starting running back. He responded by rushing for 1,293 yards and 13 touchdowns on 256 attempts. He also caught 14 passes for 164 yards on the season. He was named first team all-SEC for his performance as a junior.

Kenny Irons has been starting for the Auburn Tigers for the past two seasons after sitting out the 2004 season as a transfer from South Carolina. Kenny is a hard worker both on and off the field. He has excellent vision and does a good job of following his blockers. He has a north-south running style and runs hard for a player his size. He is effective running both inside and outside the tackles. He is able to gain yards after initial contact and may be the best back in the draft when it comes to finishing his runs. Kenny has only been starting for two years at Auburn and he sat out the 2004 season after being used sparingly the previous two seasons for the Gamecocks. As a result he hasn’t had a lot of wear and tear on his body. The bad thing is he hasn’t proved he can carry the load for a full season on his own. He had a good season as a junior but was plagued with nagging injuries as a senior. Scouts will question whether or not he can make it through an entire 16 game NFL season as a featured back. Kenny also lacks ideal size, strength, and elite speed for a for an NFL back. He plays bigger than he is but he doesn’t break many tackles and he may have a difficult time staying healthy at the next level with his running style. He gives good effort as a blocker but struggles at times against bigger, stronger defenders. He will need to improve that area of his game to become a more complete back at the next level. He is an unknown quantity as a receiver, having been used very little in the passing game in college. He has had problems with fumbles and will need to hold onto the ball if he wants to hold onto a starting job in the NFL. Kenny Irons will look to follow in the footsteps of former Auburn Tiger running backs such as Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams who were first round picks and are now starting in the NFL. He is among the best in a weak crop of senior running backs and has a chance to be the first senior back selected in the 2007 NFL draft.