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PROVO — As BYU football puts the final touches on training camp and prepares to transition toward the familiar cadence of game prep, one linebacker is looking like he never left.
Which is interesting, because technically Jack Kelly had never played there before.
But the redshirt junior who followed former Weber State coach Jay Hill to Provo a year later has the potential to be a breakout transfer as he moves to Big 12 play.
There are a lot of expectations for Kelly in his first season at BYU after leading the Big Sky with 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries last year that helped earn him the nickname "Sack Kelly."
The former Kearns High standout shouldn't have much trouble adapting to the next level. At least, he's not having much trouble moving from Hill's playbook at Weber State to the one being installed in Provo.
"Most of it is the same," Kelly said of BYU's defense. "There's not too much that I had to learn. Overall, I can always refine my skills coming in, but I knew most of the plays coming in.
"We've added some new things, so it's been good to learn that and learn from the other guys that had the experience at the Power Five level. But it's been a good transition, and I feel like I am fitting in pretty well."
One of 51 preseason candidates nationally for the Dick Butkus Award given annually to the most impactful linebacker in college football, Kelly joins a defensive roster headlined by defensive end Tyler Batty, safety Micah Harper and cornerback Jakob Robinson eager to improve on its 5-7 inaugural season in the Big 12.
Following the college football career-ending shoulder injury to Ben Bywater, Kelly and fellow linebacker Harrison Taggart may be key to the defensive improvement.
Kelly arrived in the spring as a four-star transfer prospect by 247Sports, and wasted little time getting to know his new teammates. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker has especially stood out physically, which should come as no surprise for those who watched his previous 28 games at Weber State when he totaled 85 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and an interception in playing since four games as a true freshman in 2021.
Kelly thrives on the physicality of football, something he excelled in once the pads came on and BYU played through a pair of live scrimmages the past two weekends.
"I got a couple of plays where I was allowed to go live," he told KSL.com after the first scrimmage. "Everyone was live for most of it, but they held me out for part of the scrimmage. But they still gave me a few plays to tackle; it felt really good to get hitting again and get things rolling."
Hill, the Lehi native and University of Utah alum who spent nine years as Weber State's head coach, made a strong push to lure Kelly to Weber State beginning with his junior year at Kearns. But the former 6A all-state first-team selection as a senior in 2020 appeared ready to sign with Utah State over interest from Air Force, New Mexico, Army, Nevada and Montana State, as well as the Wildcats.
But the Aggies underwent a slew of coaching changes during his senior season, including firing Gary Andersen three games into the campaign. That opened the door for Hill's staff at Weber State to bring in one of the more talented linebackers in his Wildcat tenure, he said.
"He was committed originally to Utah State, and I really thought he was a steal for them," Hill said of Kelly. "Then just through coaching changes and some of the stuff that occurred at Utah State, he kind of slipped through the cracks. He was one I loved from his junior year, so we were always hovering and waiting. When the opportunity arose, we pounded. He was one I wanted from the get-go.
"Right from day one when he stepped on to Weber State's campus, he was one of our strongest guys and showed some of the most promise. He's played a lot of football now."
In Provo, Kelly reunites with Andersen, who is a defensive analyst under head coach Kalani Sitake with a focus on the defensive line, as well as the Aggies' inside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at the time, Justin Ena.
But mostly, Kelly's move to Provo has been a reunion with Hill — one both player and coach have enjoyed in the months since he entered the transfer portal.
"There's a reason why I wanted Jack Kelly here: he's a great player, he's instinctive, he's physical. I can't wait to see him play in the Big 12," Hill said. "I think the fans are going to like what they see from him. I like what I see. His comfort level in this defense shows up on the practice field because he's been doing this for a while."
