Jack Kelly 's closing speed is impressive. Quarterbacks who think they have an extra second or running backs who are certain they can get around the edge are often left disappointed and a little surprised.
"How fast is that guy?" they wonder.
"He had a plan for me. He knew I could play at this level. I wanted to play for him when I hit the portal, so it was good to get that first call from him."
Speed is a big part of Kelly's game, and it has played an even larger role in his life. At age 3, Kelly was on a BMX bike riding as fast as he could go. As he grew, his speed increased along with his hard work and discipline.
"In BMX, it's you versus you," Kelly told BYUtv's "GameDay" pregame show. "When you are training, you don't have anyone to rely on. You can't slack at all, or it will show up on the track."
One of the kids Kelly grew up racing with was the nephew of Utah State head coach Gary Andersen .
"(Gary) had an influence on me. (He) was a big reason why I was going to Utah State ," Kelly said. "He was always part of my life. He recruited me in high school (Kearns). Once the coaching shift (happened) up there, Gary recommended Jay Hill."
Kelly changed course and diverted to Odgen, where he logged 16 1/2 sacks in 28 games for Weber State . When Hill left the Wildcats for BYU, Kelly stayed put; however, the moment the 6-foot-2, 240-pound junior linebacker entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season, Hill was the first to call.
"He had a plan for me. He knew I could play at this level," Kelly said. "I wanted to play for him when I hit the portal, so it was good to get that first call from him."
In a twist of fate, Kelly also reunited with Andersen, who volunteers his time at BYU's practices. In only a few months, the player Andersen and Hill believed would be a major game-changer, was voted a team captain.
"It means everything," Kelly said. "I'm not a super vocal guy, so I'm trying to get better at that, but I try to lead by example and set the tone for what I feel my teammates should follow and they set an example for me."
Through three games, Kelly has 14 tackles and two sacks.
"In the linebacker room, we want to have 15 sacks total between all of us," Kelly said. "That's a pretty big goal. If we are hitting our blitzes full speed, there are going to be some guys coming free and making plays."
Kelly leads a rejuvenated defense that ranks No. 13 nationally in total defense with No. 13 Kansas State and its high-powered offense in Provo on Saturday (8:30 PM, ESPN). Getting to or containing Wildcats dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson will be a challenge. Johnson threw two touchdown passes and ran for 110 yards last week against Arizona.
"We are going to come into (this) game knowing we have to be at our best. We have to be physical," Kelly said. "We have to give an all-out effort, and we have to trust each other."
Going all-out is not a problem for Kelly, he's been doing that since he was 3 years old when his dad, Mark, took him to a South Jordan BMX track and put him on a racing bike.
BYU linebacker Jack Kelly practices at the Cougars indoor facility during spring camp in Provo. | BYU Photo
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts "Y's Guys" at ysguys.com and is the author of the children's book "C is for Cougar," available at deseretbook.com .
