Tennessee football: 10 toughest Vols to replace from 2020 for 2021 season
Scouting Report. Graduated/NFL. Brandon Kennedy. player. 60. Pick Analysis. Offensive lineman. 5
New team: Minnesota Vikings (Rookie minicamp tryout)
Although there is talent at center to replace Brandon Kennedy, there aren’t as many options as there are at receiver and running back. Meanwhile, center is a crucial position, particularly with Josh Heupel installing a new offensive scheme for Tennessee football. As a result, Kennedy’s departure is a lot bigger of a deal than most.
Whether or not the 6’3″ 300-pound reliable blocker makes it in the pros remains to be seen. In college, though, he was an underrated anchor for the Vols’ line. Jeremy Pruitt secured him as a transfer from the Alabama Crimson Tide his first year.
In the opener of 2018, Kennedy suffered a season-ending injury. The offensive line ended up being historically bad that year. Kennedy returned in 2019, and the improvement up front was drastic, even with that 0-2 start, That unit was even better in 2020 than 2018 despite all the other issues.
Kennedy was a team captain in 2020 and started 21 of 23 games at center the past two years. Legacy player Cooper Mays, the brother of Cade Mays, is in line to replace him, and he should do fine, but it’s all on him to offset Kennedy’s departure. That type of risk is why we have Kennedy so high up here.