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Dont forget about Xavier Kelley
With all the talk about great defenders in the state of Texas, one name that hasn’t been mentioned by fans is Denton (Texas) Ryan outside linebacker/defensive end Xavier Kelly.
Kelley has been a sack machine for Ryan for the past two years and was a big reason why the Raiders won state in 2002 and finished second in 2003.
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“I’m a pure pass rusher,” Kelley, who is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, said. “I play smart and play with high intensity.”
It’s that smart play and non-stop motor that allowed him to rack up 98 solo tackles, 15 sacks, 38 tackles for a loss and four fumble recoveries in 16 games during his junior season.
It’s also that play that has allowed him to earn an early scholarship offer from LSU and heavy, heavy interest from Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Missouri. He lists LSU, Oklahoma and Texas as his top three teams and Kelley will be a very highly-recruited player in the Lone Star State.
“I’m looking for a school that is going to offer me early playing time,” Kelley, who has a 3.3 grade-point average and a 770 on the SAT, said. “I also want to go to a school where I feel comfortable with the coaches and players.”
Kelley has early plans to camp at Texas, LSU and will be at the College Station Nike Training Camp.
“I grew up a fan of Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and LSU,” Kelley said. “Those were the main teams that I followed. But my sports hero is Brett Favre.”