Alabama football adds Tennessee 4-star LB to 2027 recruiting class

Brentwood Academy's Kenneth Simon (10) celebrates after defeating Ensworth at Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tenn., Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.

Self-reported at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Simon is the typical build of a 3-4 middle linebacker. But what separates Simon is where he came from.

The son of a former Tennessee and NFL linebacker, Kevin Simon, Kenneth Simon II was listed as a safety at Bearden High School in Knoxville before transferring to Brentwood Academy for his junior season.

At Brentwood Academy, Simon had eight tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks, adding an interception, a pass breakup and a blocked kick. On offense, he added 64 yards and a touchdown along with 129 kick return yards.

While he may not have the size of a typical Crimson Tide linebacker, he has the experience to be a jack-of-all-trades option who can be a ferocious tackler in all levels of the defense as he grows into the mold Alabama sees in him.

Simon joins an 2027 Alabama linebacker room without much proven experience heading into 2026. But it's a room with ample potential, including five-star Xavier Griffin.

Alabama football 2026 recruiting class

• Elijah Haven: Quarterback, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Oakley Keegan: Tight end, Liverpool, New York
• Colt Lumpris: Tight end, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
• Avrian Pauley: Defensive line, Mobile, Alabama
• Trent Seaborn: Quarterback, Alabaster, Alabama
• Kenneth Simon II: Linebacker, Brentwood, Tennessee
• Stevan Thornton III: Edge, Cairo, Georgia

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 2027 LB Kenneth Simon II commits to Alabama football