Aggies land one of 2023's fastest risers
Texas A&M picked up its 13th commit for 2023 Monday, when Mansfield Lake Ridge defensive end Rylan Kennedy announced his decision. This story and analysis are brought to you by Branch & Dhillon, P.C.!
Kennedy was largely overlooked until this fall, when he exploded onto the radar of programs across Texas and the country. He racked up 61 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 5 sacks, as well as a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Kennedy's speed and versatility -- he could be an outside linebacker or a speed rusher at defensive end -- attracted increasing numbers of scouts as his senior season progressed. Within the span of a month -- between Nov. 6 and Dec. 5 -- Kennedy picked up offers from Washington, USC, San Diego State, Auburn, Texas and, finally, A&M.
Kennedy took a last-second official visit to College Station this past weekend and, even though he had plans to visit Texas this weekend, decided he'd seen enough and shut things down.
Kennedy is the 11th Texan to join the 2023 class. If he is utilized as a linebacker, he joins Daymion Sanford as the two linebackers currently committed in the class. If he's a defensive end, he will join 5-star DE DJ Hicks up front.
Analysis of A&M's newest commit
Well, I can see why Kennedy drew a ton of interest over the past six weeks. The guy has athleticism to burn.
He's not only a versatile football player, but he plays basketball and he's a high-jumper in the spring. The quickness from hoops and the burst from the high jump are both on display in his football highlights.
When he's a defensive end, he gets out of his stance quickly and has a nasty inside move to get past offensive tackles. When he's standing up, he looks like he's shot out of a cannon.
He has good, but not great, speed, but he's still fast enough to track down running backs from behind. He has excellent natural anticipation and instinctively finds the holes a running back is looking for.
And he does't take chances when it comes to tackling. He wraps up and, when he gets a chance, will put a lick on someone.
I like this addition, and I think I like Kennedy more as a linebacker than a defensive end. He shows that he can cover a lot of ground, can tackle and is at his best standing up. As an end, I'd like to see some secondary moves to go with that nasty inside first step. In any case, I don't think he's maxed out his potential yet. A&M could get a lot more out of him and this could just be the start.