Tennessee football is still looking to land a handful of blue-chip targets in its 2026 recruiting class, but that hasn’t kept Josh Heupel and his staff from beginning to turn their attention to the 2027 cycle. One prospect the Vols have focused in on— Kenneth Simon— has an abundance of ties to Tennessee.
Simon is the son of former Tennessee linebacker Kevin Simon who played for the Vols from 2001-05. A Concord, California native, Simon twice earned All-SEC honors before the Washington Redskins drafted him in the seventh round of the 2005 MLB Draft.
The 6-foot-2 safety target isn’t just the son of a former Tennessee football player. Kevin Simon is currently on the Vols’ coaching staff in a Player Development role. Simon has worked at Tennessee since 2018, first working as a liaison to NFL scouts before moving into his current player development role. Before his time at Tennessee, Simon worked as a NFL scout.
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Simon ranks as a four-star recruit and the No. 349 player in the country according to the Rivals industry rankings. 247sports is a bit lower on Simon, ranking him as a three-star recruit and the No. 354 player in the country.
Tennessee offered Simon back in May, joining a group that includes Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and many other. According to a report from Rivals’ Chad Simmons, Ole Miss is the current leader for Simon but the Vols are right behind the Rebels and are pursuing him hard.
Simon is going through a change as he enters his junior high school season. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound safety transferred to Brentwood Academy earlier this offseason after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Bearden High School.
Tennessee currently contains just one commitment in its 2027 recruiting class in local linebacker JP Peace. The West High School standout is the son of former Tennessee linebacker Robert Peace and the grandson of former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer.
