Missouri defensive line transfer Eddie Kelly knew exactly what he wanted to find in a college program for his last season. West Virginia had all of that and more.
Kelly, 6-foot-4, 278-pounds, wasn’t initially thinking that Morgantown would be where he spent his final season of his college career, but he kept going back to the people involved.
Senior offensive assistant Travis Trickett already had a relationship with him as he was the offensive coordinator at South Florida when Kelly was a member of the team and defensive line coach William Green recruited him hard when he first entered the transfer portal after his freshman season.
“He came out and took a home visit. He recruited me before and the determination of him wanting to coach me in my final year really stood out,” he said.
Green let Kelly know that the Mountaineers would be a good fit for him, and he could develop him to prepare him for the next level.
Once he saw the depth chart, Kelly believed it would be a good opportunity for him to come in and compete for a starting job from the jump.
“I just want to be in a place where I could compete to be a starter and help the team win games,” he said.
The visit to West Virginia was the first for Kelly once he entered the transfer portal and that was all he needed to make his choice. During his visit, defensive lineman Asani Redwood served as his host and he spent his time on campus evaluating how he could fit into the picture with the Mountaineers.
West Virginia is targeting Kelly as a field defensive end with the ability to play multiple positions.
Kelly has already signed with West Virginia and plans to enroll either in mid or late May.
“They’re getting a dog and a person that comes from nothing and wants to make it and win games and a Big 12 title. I just want to be a piece of the puzzle,” he said.
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