Tigers lead for QB Chad Kelly after spring game visit

Kelly is the first player in New York high school football history to pass for 2000 yards and rush for 1000 yards in the same season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Apr 10 14:20:14 GMT-04:00 2011

CLEMSON – Chad Kelly Chad Kelly
Quarterback
6-3, 205
Buffalo, NY
View Full Profile got off the plane in Buffalo Sunday morning, and it didn’t take the quarterback recruit long to realize he was already missing Clemson.

“I just got back here, and it’s cold,” Kelly told TigerNet Sunday. “It was warm down in Clemson yesterday, and I really liked it. I definitely had a good time.”

Enough of a good time to realize that the Tigers were now sitting atop his leaderboard.

And it had more to do with the facilities, coaching staff and campus than it did the weather.

The Buffalo (NY) St. Joseph's dual-threat quarterback said he was blown away by everything he saw in Clemson.

“It just seems like a perfect fit,” he said. “They ran right to the top with everybody being so genuine. They are the one at the top, and they proved that they can compete with academics and facilities and the football team.”

The nephew of former NFL quarterback Jim Kelly made the trip with his father and uncle, and said another visit to Clemson will happen soon, this time with more of the family in tow.

“They all said they could see me playing at Clemson,” he said of his family. “I am going to take another trip down there with my other uncles and more of my family, because they are all big in the decision-making process. Hopefully we can make that happen soon.”

Kelly arrived on campus Friday night and met with the coaching staff, and then took a tour of the campus, including Vickery Hall.

On Saturday, he had a 1-on-1 meeting with head coach Dabo Swinney.

“He thinks I am their guy,” Kelly said. “He said if I want to come there and be their guy, then I will have a shot at playing right away. He told me about the college town, the family atmosphere and the outside community and how they support the university and the program.”

As a junior, Kelly had 86 rushes for 1,057 yards and 15 touchdowns and he completed 137-of-249 passes for 2,159 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Kelly said he thinks he would be a perfect fit in Chad Morris’ offense.

“I actually run that same offense, and he [Morris] told me I could come in and be the starter and contribute right away,” he said. “I know he has a great future, and I know that he would be able to take me to the top. He really didn’t want to show everything he had because the game was on TV, but I know I would be a perfect fit.”

Kelly and his family sat in the crowd, and he said he took everything in.

“There were a lot of people there for it not being a game,” he said. “Even though it was just a spring game, it felt so intense. If I was the one running down the hill and touching the rock, that would be sweet. I imagine the atmosphere there would be really special.”