Kirby Smart and Georgia Bulldogs pushing to steal top tier defensive playmaker from national and SEC rivals

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The Georgia Bulldogs are beginning to pick up some major momentum on the recruiting trail this spring. Kirby Smart and company added five star running back Kemon Spell in February. Then came two more blue chips in Jerry Outhouse Jr. (cornerback) and Ty Johnson (offensive tackle) in the last three weeks alone.

Now coach Smart and his incredible staff are pushing to add more of what the Georgia program has become known for: elite linebackers. The Bulldogs now have 15+ offers out to off-ball linebackers, but as of this week, one stands out among the rest.

Kenneth Simon visits Georgia and will be back for spring game

Georgia joined the fray a bit late with Kenneth Simon (four-star linebacker from Brentwood, TN), but the Bulldogs have quickly risen up the ranks for him.

For those unfamiliar, Simon is the son of former NFL and Tennessee Vols linebacker, Kevin Simon. He's long been considered a top 300 or 400 prospect in the nation, but has recently climbed into the top 150 overall thanks to his phenomenal frame, strength, speed, and production.

Simon also holds offers from top programs like Alabama, Tennessee (of course), Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Florida and more. It was looking like Simon maybe extremely focused on Tennessee and perhaps Alabama for a while, but other programs have been surging.

It looked like Ole Miss and Notre Dame might be rising for Simon since he scheduled both in for spring visits, but now it seems Georgia is a key team to beat.

Why?

According to multiple sources, Simon has canceled his April 18 visit to Notre Dame, and will be returning to Georgia for the spring game in Athens. This news emerged just a handful of days after Simon's visit with the Bulldogs on March 21. If current trajectory holds, Simon will have a visit in March, April, and then also likely book an official with Georgia for the summer (his officials all completely unconfirmed as of this writing).

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If Georgia can procure three touch points with this blue chip star linebacker in just a three or four-month span that might be enough to seal the deal. If so, the Bulldogs will quickly start climbing towards yet another top five overall high school recruiting class.

Currently, Georgia has exactly zero front seven defensive commits in their 2027 recruiting class. They have two cornerbacks committed, plus a handful of offensive recruits. Zero linebackers or defensive linemen, the Georgia defense's staple in recent years. However, fans shouldn't worry.

This time last year the Bulldogs were lagging behind in the defensive department as well. When official visits season began, coach Smart and his stacked staff began piling up the recruiting wins.

Kenneth Simon is definitely one of the most important defensive targets right now, but he isn't the only top option considering Georgia seriously. Noah Glover and Jalaythan Mayfield (among a few others according to our A to Z Sports sources) are firmly in the mix to land with the Bulldogs soon. If Simon ultimately decides to follow in his footsteps going to Tennessee, that would be disappointing, but not the end of the world. Still, for now, it looks like Georgia is exactly where they need to be with Simon.

We’ll be back with more Georgia Bulldogs coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news.

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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Mar 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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