Arizona football: Iowa transfer John Kenny will add toughness to defense

A Big 10 product making his way to Tucson

Arizona got some good news Thursday afternoon. Former Iowa fullback/linebacker, John Kenny, will be transferring to Arizona. He will have to sit out in 2015, giving him two years of eligibility to play linebacker.

can't wait to get out to Tucson and keep chasing my dream #beardown

— John Kenny (@kennyman21) May 28, 2015

Kenny left high school ranked as a 3-star linebacker, ranked 39th in the country. He coincidentally had an offer from Arizona, as well as Boise State, Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue, among others.

He came into the program as a linebacker his freshman year, redshirting in 2013. As a redshirt freshman in 2014, he made the move to fullback. He played in 11 games, starting in two, recording four receptions for 27 yards.

He will come to Arizona as a linebacker, giving the group much-needed depth. At 6-2 235lbs, he can fill the gaps nicely. Aside from Cody Ippolito, John Kenny will be the biggest linebacker on the roster.

It's hard to imagine Scooby Wright III staying for his senior year, leaving us with Cody Ippolito, Jake Matthews and Derrick Turituri as the leaders in 2016. This year is big for the linebackers. Keep an eye on DeAndre' Miller, Marquis Ware, Jamardre Cobb and Kendall Franklin to solidify the depth at linebacker this season as well.

The Big Ten is a different breed of football. Playing a much more physical, ground-and-pound brand, Kenny has the potential to bring that mentality to the desert. The addition of Kenny can bring a new nastiness to this defense, where he can thrive after sitting a year to learn the defense. Hopefully playing fullback allows him to see the field better on the defensive side of the ball.

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