At 6-foot-4, 265 pounds, Xavier Kelly has all the tools to be a good defensive end.

“You can tell. He can get off the football. He can rush the passer,” Clemson defensive line coach Todd Bates said.

In high school, Kelly got after the quarterback a lot. The U.S. Army All-American had 8.5 sacks his senior year to go along with 12.5 tackles for loss.

“That is going to be a strength of his. He just has to continue to work and learn,” Bates said.

Kelly just finished his first active season for the Tigers, working as a backup behind First-Team All-Americans Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant. He finished his first season with a modest eight tackles in the limited action he received, including a tackle for loss and a sack while playing in eight games.

The Wichita, Kan., native redshirted in 2016 following a moped accident that set him back in fall camp.

Though it can obviously be frustrating having to play behind the likes of Ferrell and Bryant as they dominate opposing quarterbacks and running backs, it can also be a good thing too. There is a reason why they are the starters, and for Kelly it is an opportunity to learn.

“For Xavier, this has been the best thing for him, to be able to watch Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant work their butts off,” Bates said. “Kind of show him the way. Kind of become a trailblazer for him.”

Bates believes playing behind Ferrell and Bryant will pay off for Kelly in the long run, especially when it comes to playing his technique, using his hands properly and playing within the scheme of the defense.

“I think he has a lot of talent and ability. He has to keep putting in the work and everything will work out,” Bates said. “It’s just like in anything you do. If you work at it, you’ll get better.”

Bates says Kelly just needs to dive into his playbook and then rep it as much as possible.

“I was a rep guy. I needed the repetitions,” the Clemson coach said. “I think that is what Xavier needs. He gets them in practice. You can’t grow weary of getting coached on the same things because one day that light bulb is going to turn on and then the world is going to be ready to see what you can do.”