RECRUITING: Three-Star Throwback Linebacker Chooses Weber State
Updated: Feb 16, 2021
(Photo provided by Jack Kelly)
NAME: Jack Kelly
HIGH SCHOOL: Kearns High School
POSITION: Linebacker/Tight End/Punter
TOP SCHOOLS: Committed to Weber State (Other interested schools: Air Force, Army, Montana State, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Utah State)
“Exciting and different.”
Those are the words that Jack Kelly, a 6’3”, 235-pound linebacker out of Kearns High School told Weber State Weekly when he was asked to describe his recruiting experience. He would go on to say, “It was fun to develop relationships with the coaches and schools. It was making a dream into reality.”
Kelly, who wasn’t short on attention from FBS or FCS schools alike, was recruited by Air Force, Army, Montana State, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Utah State, but ended up choosing - and signing with - Weber State to continue his athletic and academic pursuits.
So why Weber State?
“I like the coaches and how they’d talk to me about their plan,” the three-star athlete said. “I like the winning seasons they’ve been having, and the coaches’ relationships we had were amazing.” Weber State’s primary recruiter for Kelly was new linebackers coach Matty Ah You.
When looking at Kelly’s tape, one can see an all-around and passionate type of player who thoroughly enjoys the physicality of the game. He’s an unbelievably strong (just look at the videos he’s posted on Twitter or Instagram), big, and a hard-hitting player, whose versatility knows no bounds. As a senior, he starred as a linebacker - the position that Weber State wants him to play - but has good enough hands that he was Kearns’ Tight End, as well.
Have we talked about his special teams prowess yet? He even made first team all-state as a punter.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Mr. Kelly knows that his ability to do it all on the football field might be his greatest asset. “Versatility and being able to do my job is my greatest strength,” Kelly mentioned. “Whatever the coach wants me to do, I’ll do it. I’m always able to attack.”
His speed and good hands allow him to drop back in coverage and become a threat to steal the ball from the opposition. His frame and Hulk-like strength could prove to be a deciding factor in him playing more as an edge rusher in the stout Wildcat defense. His body frame is capable of handling either position with ease, and his physical skills and football intelligence will make him a threat no matter what the coaches decide to do with him.
While Kelly considers his versatility to be his most impressive attribute, others within the Utah high school football scene looked more at the bigger picture and saw a young man who was a crucial piece on some of the most successful teams in Kearns High School history.
He’s a winner - something that Weber State’s coaches seem to never overlook when recruiting high school players.
When it comes to matters off the field, Kelly going hiking, mountain biking, golfing or doing anything outdoors. He’s undecided on what he’d like to major in, but is considering something in the business or sports medicine fields.
After the early signing period ended on December 18, the Wildcats ended up with three linebacker signings with Kelly, Brayden Perry and Jayden Ah You, giving Jay Hill’s defense some high-end stability for years to come. With those three rushing the quarterback, stopping the run and covering wide receivers and tight ends, it feels safe to make the assumption that Weber State will maintain one of the best defenses in the nation for the foreseeable future.