Tennessee, Josh Heupel lock in visit with legacy recruit the Vols can't let get away

Spring practice is the perfect opportunity for Tennessee to bring top recruits to campus so they can experience the program firsthand and see how Josh Heupel runs things. With that said, Tennessee is getting one of their top targets on campus, linebacker Kennth Simon II, who will be in Knoxville on March 28 to check on Knoxville one more time.

The four-star in-state product is one of the top players in all of 2027. 247Sports has Simon rated as the No. 131 player in the country, and the former safety, now turned linebacker, is the No. 6 player in Tennessee. It won't be easy landing, Simon, though, as Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss are all in on the star defender as well.

Kenneth Simon II's father, Kenneth Simon, was also a Vol. Simon played at Tennessee in the middle of the Phillip Fulmer years from 2002 to 2005. After four good seasons in Knoxville, Simon ended up being a seventh-round pick by the then-Washington Redskins. As a senior for ther Vols, Simon led Tennessee in tackles with 86, including 4 TFLs and a sack. Tennessee hopefully has a big advantage here with Simon's dad playing his college ball at Tennessee.

The quality that makes Simon so coveted by top programs is the fact that he can run, cover, and tackle in space for a linebacker. His time playing as a safety has really helped with this, and he has a gritty style of play that will translate to the SEC. These are the type of recruits that he needs to win to bring Tennessee to the next level. Simon clearly has the talent; if Georgia, Notre Dame, and Bama want Simon, then so do I.

The Vols have a lot to sell when it comes to Simon. Not only is he a legacy, but Tennessee now has one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, Jim Knowles, and Tennesse has done a really nice job developing linebackers.

Right now, the Vols have only four 2027 commits, but that number will soon grow with spring and summer visits right around the corner.