Alabama Football: What does 4-star LB Demouy Kennedy bring to table?

Alabama football landed another recruit to bolster the 2020 class in outside linebacker Demouy Kennedy. What does he bring to the team?

It has been an interesting month for Alabama football on the recruiting trail. As they focus in on finishing out the 2020 class, they have landed a few key pieces. The newest commit for the tide is Demouy Kennedy, an outside linebacker ranked in the Top 100 from Theodore, Alabama.

Kennedy is a top-10 outside linebacker in 2020, and he’s ranked as the second-best player from the state of Alabama. For the Tide, in-state recruits like Kennedy are very important for every class. It helps hold down your own state’s talent, and it keeps them out of the hands of SEC rivals like Auburn, Georgia, and LSU. Also, every 247Sports Crystal Ball had Kennedy going to LSU, so this was a bit of a steal for the Tide.

Another reason Kennedy is so important for Alabama is because of his position.

Outside linebacker is a position where depth is a necessity. Alabama learned that the hard way last season after having so many injuries. By the time Kennedy graduates high school and joins the team, both Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings will be gone. Chris Allen will be a leading candidate to start, but he has suffered from injury in the past.

The expected star will be Eyabi Anoma, one of the top recruits ever to join the Tide in Saban’s reign. After Allen and Anoma, there isn’t a lot of depth for future years. Cameron Latu was expected to be a great outside linebacker, but he has recently moved to tight end. If that switch becomes permanent, there will be more reps that need to be filled.

Because of the lack of depth, Kennedy has a chance to shine early as a freshman. Freshmen usually don’t start at outside linebacker for Alabama, but he will probably get early reps if he shines in the summer. Once it is his turn to start, he has the athleticism and skill to make a difference in the pass rush.

Kennedy won’t be the only outside linebacker to join the team in 2020. So far, Alabama has received a commitment from De’Rickey Wright, a three-star prospect. They are also in contention to sign Quandarrius Robinson, the top Alabama prospect in 2020. This class has the potential to be great at the linebacker position if Alabama can land a few more prospects. Even if they can’t Demouy Kennedy has the potential to be a great piece for the Crimson Tide for years to come.