On Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock, one of Clemson’s top remaining 2016 targets will announce his decision during an ESPN webcast.
Wichita-East four-star defensive end [autotag]Xavier Kelly[/autotag] is set to decide between [autotag]Clemson[/autotag], Georgia, Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Kansas State, Oregon and TCU.
Kelly profiles as a strong-side defensive end. As is the case with most prospects, there are conflicting reports on his size. In March, at The Opening in Dallas, Kelly was measured at 6-5, 230 pounds with a 40-time of 4.55. Two months later, at the Rivals Camp Series in St. Louis, Kelly checked in at 6-4, 240.
That range of height and weight, along with Kelly’s highlights, it’s probably safe to go ahead and say that he’ll play in the 260-270 range in college. He’s got a frame that will carry that weight without much issue. Plus, it appears that his arm length meets the typical Venables end.
Kelly is a good athlete who, as you may have deduced with his 40-time, runs well. He was a starter for the Wichita-East basketball team that won a 6A state championship in Kansas earlier this year. In the title game, Kelly scored 22 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked four shots.
On the football fields in Kansas, Kelly is among boys. Quite frankly, most of the competition he faces isn’t all that great. Not only is he the biggest and strongest guy on field, but he’s also the quickest and most athletic. The result: Kelly goes unblocked in many of the highlights on his reel. When he does defeat a blocker, he generally gets by with his superior strength/power.
The almost seven-minute clip shows would-be blockers being tossed to the side, before ball carriers and quarterbacks are eaten up, so at least he’s dominating the competition. He certainly doesn’t shy away from contact. Kelly would be a national recruit if he was playing in Texas, Georgia, Florida or any other state that’s always full of talent. That was on display during his strong performances at the Nike and Rivals camps.
Kelly looks the part and has the athleticism, but he also possesses the movement skills, feel and instincts of a high-level recruit.
It was a extremely productive spring for Kelly, who’s listed by Rivals as the No. 11 ranked strong-side defensive end in the class of 2016. He committed to Kansas State in November. In March, shortly after he backed away from his pledge, the offers started to roll in: Notre Dame, Clemson, Ole Miss then Alabama. Miami, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Arizona State, Georgia, Florida State, LSU, Missouri, Michigan State and Oklahoma offered in April.
As everyone else was trying to get its foot in the door, Brent Venables was already making in-roads. Assuming Kelly makes the decision that many are anticipating, Venables will continue his torrid streak on the recruiting trail.
Kelly’s announcement will air here: LINK