Tennessee’s offensive line landed a welcome, and frankly much-needed, addition late last week as Alabama graduate transfer Brandon Kennedy finally made it to Knoxville. The move wasn’t necessarily an easy one, as SEC rules had to change before the move could happen, but in the end, the Volunteers managed to bolster the program’s depth up front with this addition.

Following three years in Tuscaloosa, Kennedy announced his plans to transfer from Nick Saban’s program via the graduate transfer rule back in April. That decision made him eligible wherever he wound up, however, SEC rules allowed for programs to restrict transfers from one league institution to another. That rule was changed during the latest SEC Spring Meetings, which freed Kennedy to finally pursue his graduate degree in Knoxville.

Kennedy signed with Alabama in the 2015 recruiting cycle. He was rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 19 offensive guard in the country. 247Sports Composite rated him as the No. 296 overall player in the nation in 2015. While he would have been a backup for the Crimson Tide, he’ll likely compete immediately for a starting position on the interior of Tennessee’s offensive line in 2018. The redshirt junior has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Not long after news leaked that Kennedy had arrived on campus in Knoxville, Tennessee’s newest addition on the offensive line issued this statement, “A new approach to an old dream” in the tweet below: