Knoxville, Tennessee safety Todd Kelly knows the Tennessee football program better than most, but a new coaching staff makes things just a little bit different these days for the Webb School standout. He was on campus this past weekend for Tennessee's Junior day, but what were his thoughts?
"Going in I hadn't met the entire staff, but I had heard a lot about coach Jones," Kelly said. "My family and I sat down and talked with him and it wasn't just about football. It was about life and other things. At the end of the day, I got a good feel for what was changing at Tennessee and it was a good visit."
Several prospects and some of the freshly signed future Vols have talked about the change in culture on Rocky Top. It's something that Kelly noticed and was happy to see.
"I could definitely tell a difference," Kelly said. "He wants to turn it back around and keep Tennessee's winning tradition. He knows it's going to take time, but he's putting an emphasis on winning and competing for championships."
The two time state champion Spartan safety spent his visit with other top prospects from across the Volunteer state. In particular, he hung out with 4-star running back Jalen Hurd and what appears to be a newly formed friendship could pay dividends for both.
"It does help to have a second opinion on things," Kelly said. "Sometimes after a visit you can get excited and have that flash and glamour feeling. Another opinion can help point out flaws or sometimes special things you may haven't noticed before. We just met this weekend, but I knew of him through football and vice versa. It's good to meet a new friend and have someone to talk to about things."
Kelly and his Webb teammates have been focused on next fall. It's important to go out with a bang for Kelly. He wants to have a monster season both offensively and defensively and it's something he's working to achieve by starting with his own game.
"I've mainly been working on my footwork," Kelly said. "Track just started and that always helps me get faster and speed is so important in college football. I've been just working hard and lifting weights too. I feel like I can improve my overall game and that's what I'm focused on doing."
A decision doesn't appear to be close for Kelly. He will visit several different programs this spring and attend different spring games. Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Duke, Stanford, Southern California and Vanderbilt join the Vols in his final ten. Certain things are appearing to be more important for Kelly as he takes a deep look at how to attack the recruiting process.
"I've been thinking about that a lot," Kelly said. "I think the most important things are the ability to be comfortable with the surroundings and the atmosphere. Then I think you have to be completely 100% committed to your decision. I feel like once you commit, you need to stick to your word."
Rivals.com ranks Kelly as a 4-star safety in the class of 2014.
