Rich Rodriguez Has High Praise For WVU Football Senior Defensive Lineman

The West Virginia Mountaineers expect SEC transfer Eddie Kelly Jr. to have a big impact this season.
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WVU football head coach Rich Rodriguez has been pretty stingy since his return to Morgantown when it comes to naming players who are standing out during practice. He's faced questions on the matter a number of times during both spring practice sessions and preseason camp, but isn't exactly forthcoming on the matter.

He has lightened up a bit in preseason camp when it comes to sharing his thoughts on some of his talent – it's a bit harder for players to be poached, at least currently, when they're at camp and committed for the upcoming season. And on Saturday, he had plenty of praise for senior defensive lineman Eddie Kelly Jr. when his name was brought up by the media.

"He's a one year, you know, a guy to come in and make an impact, and he's worked hard. I mean, he's in better shape than he was when he got here. I think he loves football," Rodriguez said about Kelly. "You know, everything's different for him, obviously, a new system and all that. But I think he's got a chance to contribute, and you can't have enough of those guys. Guys that are big defensive lineman who can rush the passer, those are pretty valuable."

Rodriguez wasn't wrong about Kelly being big and in shape – in a photo captured from Friday's open practice, he looked absolutely massive. On WVU's roster, he's listed at 6-foot-5 and 288 pounds.

Kelly Jr. comes to the Mountaineers after playing in 13 games for Missouri in 2024 and registering 20 tackles (4.5 TFL), two pass breakups, and one sack. Over the course of his career, which also saw stints at USF and Georgia Tech before his stop at Missouri, Kelly has played in 37 career games with nine starts and has tallied 77 tackles 11 TFL), five pass breakups, and 2.5 sacks.


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