Tennessee football: Vols add Alabama OL graduate transfer Brandon Kennedy

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee football picked up a huge addition on Thursday. The Volunteers gained Alabama Crimson Tide graduate transfer offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy.

What a huge pickup for Tennessee football! Amidst all the talk of a rebuilding year with a new head coach and new system, Jeremy Pruitt continues to add proven commodities to the Vols who can contribute this year.

His latest addition is Alabama Crimson Tide graduate transfer Brandon Kennedy. According to Patrick Brown of GoVols247, sources say he’s planning on transferring to the Vols. And he’ll be eligible to play immediately in 2018.

Kennedy joins running back Madre London, quarterback Keller Chryst and kicker Ryan Tice as graduate transfers the Vols added under Pruitt for 2018. But Kennedy, in a turn of events, actually has two years left of eligibility. His transfer is a blow to Nick Saban, who sought to block him from transferring to the Vols or the Auburn Tigers before the league adopted transfer rule changes.

Along with being a key graduate transfer, Kennedy has a great player profile. From Wetumpka, Ala., he stands at 6’3″ 305 pounds. On top of that, he was a four-star lineman on Rivals in college, as were Chryst and London.

With recent attrition on the offensive line, Kennedy adds some much-needed depth there. So he should be a huge pickup for Tennessee football long-term.

More importantly, Pruitt has added enough guys so far to live by his mantra of expecting to win immediately. In addition to these graduate transfers, he’s also added four-star junior college transfers Emmit Gooden on the defensive line, Jordan Allen at edge rusher, and Dominick Wood-Anderson at tight end. Simply put, the Vols are in great shape to make some noise this year.

Next: Top 15 prospects for Vols to pursue in 2019

Momentum has been building for Pruitt and co. on the 2019 recruiting trail for a while, and adding these guys for 2018 only could help that. So give credit to him and the Tennessee football staff. They just scored a big pickup in Kennedy.