Countdown to Canes Football: No. 14 Nyjalik Kelly
Applying pressure on the quarterback, that’s a category the Miami Hurricanes did well in 2022. One of the key players in helping that take place was a mere first-year player in the Miami rotation.
Today’s Countdown to Canes Football player has a chance to end up being an all-time great based on natural talent and what he’s accomplished thus far.
Who’s been discussed before today? Here: Full Countdown to Canes Football List
Nyjalik Kelly
Size
: 6-foot-4, 250 pounds
Class
: Sophomore
Position
: Defensive End
Recruitment and Background
Coming out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard, Kelly made an early commitment to the Florida State Seminoles. Once Mario Cristobal took over for the Canes, he made Kelly a priority and flipped him late in the recruiting process. Kelly was one of the top prospects in the state of Florida and was considered a high-upside player to boot.
2022 Statistics
Tackles
: 11
Tackles for loss
: 4.5
Sacks
: 4
Looking Back at 2022
For a player that was a mere freshman, Kelly made good strides with being a true pass rusher. He quickly made it into the rotation and proved his worth. Kelly bent the edge and came after the quarterback with determination and effort. Now he must be able to handle more reps and also improve at the same time. As a sophomore, much will be expected of Kelly.
Playing the Run
It’s one thing to be a true pass rusher, it’s quite another to be an all-around defensive end. He showed signs of that last season and now it’s time to take the next step. That’s the expectation as well.
Kelly’s ability to stymie opposing offensive linemen and hold the point of attack, allowing his teammates to rally to the football as he forces a ball carrier back inside, that’s just as important as recording sacks.
The physical talent has been there and will continue to be. This will be about attention to detail with film study, knowing the opponent’s starting offensive tackles and tight ends, game situations, and the like.
If Kelly can become a consistent run stuffer during the early portion of this next season, like he has been a pass rusher, as a sophomore especially, that would mean he’s likely heading for a great Miami career and a chance to head to the NFL.
For instance, it will be interesting to see how well he plays versus Texas A&M’s big offensive tackles on Sep. 9. That’s a quality combination of offensive tackles with a lot of size.
With Trey Zuhn III at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, and Reuben Fatheree at 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds, the Canes will need to rotate their defensive linemen and expect each of them – Kelly included – with the expectation that they can hold the edge and force the Aggies to be a pass-first team. Miami has a great shot to win that game if A&M has to constantly throw the football.
Adding Pass Rush Moves
As he continues to develop, let’s see how this talented young man adds to his bag of pass rush moves. Naturally strong and quick, the more comfortable Kelly becomes with changing up what move he goes with, the more likely Kelly pushes his season sack total upwards.
Big Games, Big Plays
Find a way. When Miami goes against the top teams like A&M at home, at North Carolina, home to Clemson, at North Carolina State, at Florida State, and the home finale versus Louisville, Kelly will need to be at his best.
That’s the definition of a true game-changer performer. As the old saying goes in football:
“Big-time players play big in big-time games.”
2023 Projection
He has the ability to be a great pass rusher. That’s been proven based on his production off the bench in 2022. Kelly should now be a consistent force against the run with a year of experience and better understanding of how to play at the Power 5 level.
He should end up with at least 6 sacks and even more tackles for loss. Kelly’s contributions can be a major factor in helping Miami get back to being a dominant defensive unit.
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.