PROVO – As the BYU football team puts the finishing touches on training camp and prepares to transition into the usual rhythm of game preparation, one linebacker looks like he was never there.

This 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 make a splash when he moves to the Big 12.

Kelly has high expectations in his first season at BYU after leading the Big Sky last year with 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, earning him the nickname “Sack Kelly.”

The former Kearns High star shouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to the next level. At least he won’t have much trouble transitioning from Hill’s playbook at Weber State to the one in Provo.

“Most of it has stayed the same,” Kelly said of BYU’s defense. “I didn’t have to learn a lot. Overall, I can still improve my skills, but I knew most of the plays from the beginning.”

“We added some new things, so it was good to learn that and learn from the other guys who had experience at the Power Five level. But it was a good transition, and I feel like I fit in pretty well.”

Kelly is one of 51 national preseason nominees for the Dick Butkus Award, given annually to the most influential linebacker in college football. He joins a defensive squad led by defensive end Tyler Batty, safety Micah Harper and cornerback Jakob Robinson that is eager to improve on its 5-7 record in its first season in the Big 12.

After Ben Bywater’s career-ending shoulder injury, Kelly and fellow linebacker Harrison Taggart could be the key to improving the defense.

Kelly arrived in the spring as a four-star transfer prospect by 247Sports and wasted no time getting to know his new teammates. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker has stood out primarily physically, which should come as no surprise to those who have watched his last 28 games at Weber State, as he totaled 85 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and one interception since four games as a true freshman in 2021.

Kelly loves the physicality of football, and that’s what he excelled at after donning his gear and watching BYU play two live practice games the last two weekends.

“I had a couple of plays where I got to go for it,” he told KSL.com after the first practice game. “Everyone was in the game for the most part, but they left me out for part of the practice game. But they still gave me a couple of plays to tackle; it felt really good to get back to hitting and getting things rolling.”

Hill, a Lehi native, University of Utah graduate and Weber State head coach for nine years, tried hard to lure Kelly to Weber State since his junior year at Kearns. But the former 6A All-State first-team selection as a senior in 2020 seemed ready to sign with Utah State despite interest from Air Force, New Mexico, Army, Nevada and Montana State, as well as the Wildcats.

But the Aggies went through a series of coaching changes during his final season, including the firing of Gary Andersen three games into the season. That opened up the opportunity for Hill’s team at Weber State to sign one of the most talented linebackers of his Wildcat days, he said.

“He was originally committed to Utah State and I really thought he was a steal for them,” Hill said of Kelly. “Then he kind of slipped through the net because of coaching changes and some things that happened at Utah State. He was someone I liked since his junior year, so we always waited and waited. When the opportunity came up, we jumped at it. He was someone I wanted from the beginning.”

“From the first day he stepped on campus at Weber State, he was one of our strongest players and showed some promising talent. He’s played a lot of football since then.”

In Provo, Kelly reunites with Andersen, who works under head coach Kalani Sitake as a defensive analyst with a focus on the defensive line, as well as the Aggies’ then-inside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, Justin Ena.

But most of all, Kelly’s move to Provo was a reunion with Hill – a reunion that both players and coaches have enjoyed in the months since his move.

“There’s a reason 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 on the practice field because he’s been doing this for a while.”