Tennessee lands Brentwood Academy 4-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II, flipping from Alabama

Tennessee football picked up a major recruiting swing on June 13, when Brentwood Academy four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II reportedly flipped his commitment from Alabama to the Volunteers. The move gives Tennessee another high-profile defender in the class-building phase as head coach Josh Heupel continues to shape the program’s recruiting profile and defensive depth.

According to Yahoo Sports, Simon II’s new pledge is to Tennessee rather than Alabama, marking a direct turn away from Nick Saban’s former staff and toward a different style of program emphasis under Heupel. The report also ties the decision to Tennessee’s coaching leadership, with Heupel identified as the relevant head coach in the commitment update.

Simon II is listed as a four-star prospect and a linebacker at Brentwood Academy, a school that regularly produces recruits with SEC interest. In that context, Tennessee’s ability to win (or regain) attention from prospects who were previously committed elsewhere remains a key barometer for how well the Volunteers are competing across the recruiting landscape in the early stages of roster planning.

While commitment flips are part of the normal college football recruiting cycle, each one carries added weight because it changes both teams’ immediate scholarship math and recruiting priorities. For Alabama, the reported flip represents a loss of a target at the linebacker position. For Tennessee, it is an addition that can influence how the staff structures future recruiting on the defensive side, including whether it pursues additional inside linebackers, edge defenders, or hybrid roles.

It is still important to separate public commitment reports from final roster certainty. Recruiting commitments can change as prospects revisit schools, evaluate fit, and consider coaching or scheme shifts. At the same time, Tennessee’s reported win suggests the Volunteers are maintaining momentum in recruiting conversations with high-level in-state and regional talent.

What to watch next is whether Tennessee’s coaching staff follows through with additional recruiting momentum at linebacker and adjacent defensive spots, and whether Simon II’s public statements or school announcements provide further clarity on how he views his role in the Volunteers’ defensive system under Heupel.

For now, the headline is straightforward, Tennessee has been reported to be the new destination for Kenneth Simon II after Alabama was the earlier commitment. The next recruiting updates will show whether this flip becomes part of a broader class surge or remains a standalone move.