FSU impresses Kelly

Wichita (Kan.) East defensive end Xavier Kelly made his most recent stop in a string of southern visits on Saturday to Florida State University.

"It was (better) than what I expected, so that is always good," Kelly said. "What I found kind of neat at Florida State is they have these GPS that they put in their shoulder pads when they play and it calculates how fast you run, how fast you accelerate and all that stuff."

One of the aspects of Kelly's game that Florida State liked when they offered was his speed and his athleticism, and they have a unique plan for him if he chooses to become a Seminole.

"They want me to play a position called the 'Buck,' so I will be playing outside linebacker and defensive end," Kelly said. "They think I have a good frame and I was measured at 6-foot-5, 250 (Saturday). They think I don't look like I am 250; I look like I am 225. I come in heavier than a lot of freshman, so I am in a good position to get a lot of playing time."

Prior to Saturday's visit, Kelly's best contact at Florida State was linebackers coach Bill Miller. The stay in Tallahassee gave the Kansas native a chance to familiarize himself with other members of the Seminole's staff.

"Today I met Coach (Brad) Lawing, Coach (Charles) Kelly and I got a chance to talk with Coach (Jimbo) Fisher for a little while in his office too," Kelly said. "(Fisher) is a great guy and very straightforward. He's not going to sell you dreams, he's going to be honest with you and he seems like a great coach. I feel like I can trust him just off this one day that I met him."

Florida State is one of more than two dozen schools that have offered Kelly, but they stand out from the crowd a little more after Saturday's visit.

"Florida State, they are definitely up there on my list," Kelly said. "I haven't narrowed it down yet, but towards the end of the summer I am going to narrow it down to probably a top five or top eight and hopefully make my decision Jan. 9 at the Army All-American Game."

Kelly preceded his Florida State visit with a stop at Alabama on Friday. His next visit will go to another ACC program on Sunday.

"We are actually going to Clemson," Kelly said. "I am expecting nothing but great things from Clemson. I am excited to see the place. They are in the ACC and the ACC is one of the good conferences, and that is always a plus."

Accompanying Kelly on his southern visits this weekend is his father. His aunt, who lives in Georgia, will meet them in South Carolina Sunday for the Clemson visit.

Kelly will be one of just 16 defensive linemen headed to Baltimore for the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour June 5-7.