Alabama denied offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy's initial appeal to transfer to another SEC school on Monday, sources told AL.com.
Kennedy, who decided to leave the Crimson Tide program in early May, is hoping to join either Auburn or Tennessee as a graduate transfer but is still blocked from even having contact with those two schools as well as any other SEC schools and any future Alabama opponents.
The next step for Kennedy, who graduated in December, is an in-person hearing with Alabama's appeal board.
"You know, the big thing when it comes to guys that are grad transfers is if they've shown the maturity to do what it takes to get their degree," Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt told Sports Radio WNML in Tennessee last week.