Tennessee Football '100%' Contends for Blue-Chip OL Kennedy Brown

Rocky Top has been graced by many talented visitors this month, but an On3 Top 10 player recently made his way to town.

The Tennessee Vols held the attention of one of the nation's top offensive linemen and according to ESPN, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country.

The five-star out of Kingwood (TX) is a consensus Top 3 OT across the board.

The Texas product has been to Knoxville in the past for a game day experience, but this time it was about zeroing in on the details of coaching, practice habits, etc.

The two parties have also scheduled an official visit as well.

What drew the Texan to the Volunteer State?

"I just really liked the way that Coach (Glen) Elarbee set the tone, early on," Brown explained.

The physicality stood out the coveted blue-chip.

"That played a big part. Like seeing David Sanders,"

Sanders played in 9-games (6-starts) during his freshman (2025) season. That is a visual example of the development that the Tennessee OL staff is able to bring when handling a high-talented prospect as Sanders was a five-star top offensive tackle himself.

It isn't always easy for a staff to harness the raw talent of such talented young men, but this group in Knoxville is pretty good at what they do, and it all starts with the head of the group, Glen Elarbee.

Elarbee's impact is beginning to flourish. Brown describes the authenticity of the Volunteer offensive line coach.

Glen Elarbee's Impact

During Brown's game day visit, his communication with Elarbee, was a bit unique. Coaches typically try to make their rounds to a few guys before flipping into coach mode, but the two found themselves in conversation multiple times throughout the visit.

"We spoke for 5-minutes, then 10-minutes, then 40-minutes. So, it's just a great relationship. I just think he's an o-line mastermind," Brown said.

Elarbee took a trip to see the priority tackle back in January, and the sense is, it's genuine.

"I mean, really, I can see through the bluff, but he's not one of the ones that'll blow your phone up every single day. It's like a real relationship," Brown told reporters.

When you are genuine, it's easy to tell that not contacting every day is out of respect and not a lack of interest. That is tough to beat.

This trickles down to the offensive line staff as a whole, and Brown has the right perspective of the importance of the supporting staffers.

"It plays a big part. I mean, obviously being around the people I'd be around 365-days. Building a relationship with them is also a big part, because you can't just have one relationship, there is like five of them," Brown tells Vols on SI.

When asked if the Vols were truly a contender and if Tennessee could see him back for an official visit, the answer was short, sweet, and very direct. "100%, yes sir, that is the plan."

When the official visit does take place, campus life will be the focal point as this would essentially be a cross-country move if Rocky Top is where Brown decides to call home.

"Really being able to get there and be around people and you can see the real, bigger picture."

Texas A&M and Oregon will receive an official visit from Brown in a few months. There are other schools in the mix, but Brown is going through his options and getting prepared before announcing dates and details.

Brown also made it known that this decision wil be about more than just about football.

"Obviously, there is more to it. Academics, sports medicine (player recovery program), and a couple of other things but those are the first two that come to mind, right now. Oh yeah, and development."

Lastly noted, Brown has a great appreciation for the approach that Josh Heupel takes in his role of the recruitment of the Kingwood student-athlete.

"He's real. He doesn't send other people out to do his job, he's there," Brown exclaimed.

Brown is aiming for a late June/July announcement date, but things are subject to change.

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