Jack Kelly hasn't played a down in a BYU uniform, yet he's been the object of hype since the day he walked into the program from Weber State .
Why? Fair?
It's been a fascinating phenomenon. It has continued from the first day of fall camp to this past weekend.
In fact, it's been perhaps the most interesting topic to follow aside from the starting quarterback decision for the Southern Illinois game on Aug. 31.
The linebacker has become part Kyle Van Noy and part Fred Warner , a versatile player who plays the rover position, outruns bullets and hops over buildings.
In the weight room, he's turned heads.
He's a man's man, a natural-born performer whom players can count on and believe will be an integral part of defensive coordinator Jay Hill's defense this fall.
And he hasn't played a down.
I kind of like it.
It adds to the tapestry of football this time of year, when hopes, dreams, speculation, hype and entertainment are headed for reality in two weeks.
What will give? What's real? what's fable?
You ask coaches and players about Kelly and they're all in harmony — the guy can play.
"He's got playmaker speed, will strike you. He's the total package," said BYU's new offensive line coach TJ Woods, who was tasked to fire up BYU's offensive leading point of attack and protection. He should know.
"He's like a Swiss Army Knife. He's just a football player. He's super hard to block. He's a step ahead and he has real speed. He can rush the passer, come off the edge and drop back in coverage."
Van Noy.
"I love him," said sophomore linebacker Siale Esera . "He's an amazing person and a great football player. He's doing so many great things and a great addition."
Kelly is 6-foot-2, 240 pounds and played at Kearns High before signing with Weber State. Then coach Jay Hill got him when Kelly was actually headed for Utah State. Hill had been keeping an eye on him since his junior year of high school. Kelly fit in and became a star for Hill with the Wildcats.
It's no wonder Hill wanted Kelly to follow him to BYU.
Hill's batting average on bringing guys in from Weber is .1,000%. He brought in corner/nickle back Eddie Heckard last year with corner Kamden Garrett and they made an immediate impact. This year, Kelly and corner Marque Collins transferred in from Weber State after entering the portal following last season.
" Jack Kelly is a hidden gem. ... He's something I haven't seen before. ... Hopefully we can bring what we've done at Weber and make our own way at BYU," Collins told 960 ESPN Radio.
You ask Hill about Kelly this fall and you get a smile.
Every time.
"There's a reason I wanted Jack Kelly here," Hill told reporters Friday.
"He's a great player. He's instinctive, he runs, he's physical, and I can't wait to see him play in the Big 12. I think the fans are going to like what they see from him. I like what I see," Hill said. "I think his comfort level in this defense shows up on the practice field because he's been doing this for a while now."
BYU has a long tradition of producing solid linebackers, a position where they tend to find success.
Fred Warner, who has been the NFL's top linebacker the past two seasons, came out of San Marcos, California, and leads the San Francisco 49ers defense. He is almost the identical size of Kelly and will be used similarly.
Talk about a similar role.
Hill could deploy Kelly like Bronco Mendenhall did Van Noy, one of the most dangerous play-producing linebackers in BYU history. Van Noy, who has two Super Bowl rings, came to BYU from McQueen High in Reno, Nevada. He is also 6-3, 240 and BYU hopes Kelly has many of Van Noy's instincts on the field.
Preseason hype and talk is cheap. It is filtered out when the season begins and for Kelly, he'll be making a huge step from Weber State to Big 12 football as a Power Four player.
Hill believes Kelly is a gem, a steal. He thought that when he got him to Weber State when he was headed to Utah State.
He's thinking the same thing these days.
Until something changes his mind.
BYU linebacker Jack Kelly practices at the Cougars indoor facility during spring camp in Provo. | BYU Photo
