During his high school years, McKinney was a standout high school wrestler, becoming a two-time WIAA state champion out of Shadle Park High School and a Fargo All-American in freestyle. The sixth-ranked senior recruit in the country, McKinney considered skipping college wrestling to jump into MMA, a sport he had decided to pursue as a freshman, but went on to wrestle at North Idaho College, where he went 31–11 and was the top-ranked athlete during his first year in junior college ('13–'14). After a quick stint at NIC, he transferred to Chadron State College and redshirted during '14–'15.
