Tennessee football has landed one of its priority targets in the 2027 class. After committing to Alabama in May, four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II has flipped his commitment to the Vols to stay in his home state and follow in his father’s footsteps.
Simon ranks as the No. 139 player in the cycle, via 247 Composite. He is ranked as the No. 10 linebacker and No. 6 player from the state of Tennessee in the class. He plays for Brentwood Academy just outside of Nashville after starting his high school career at Bearden in Knoxville.
Simon is the son of a former star UT defender. His dad is Kevin Simon, who played linebacker for the Vols from 2001-05. The two-time All-SEC player was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL draft.
It doesn’t take long to see Kenneth Simon II’s star potential, as well. Turning on his film, he’s doing a little bit of everything at an elite level. You can see him rush the passer like an edge rusher, drop into coverage like a safety and lay down big hits in the run game like a linebacker. This versatility should play very well at UT.
“Modern 3-4 linebacker projection with the athleticism, physicality and awareness to play all three downs,” 247 director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. “Began prep career as a safety, but got more and more snaps in the box as a junior for a Brentwood Academy squad that captured a Tennessee Division II-AA championship. Displays impressive downhill thrust as he shoots forward and closes gaps. Swiftly changes directions from a second-level perch and takes sharp angles to the football…”
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Here’s a look at the highlights from Tennessee football’s latest commit in the 2027 class:
