Kelly at home in middle of YSU defense

Jaylin Kelly is not the type to hold a grudge. The Washington High School graduate knew he could play major college football, but schools such as Pitt did not call the former all-state player.
That was fine with him. Kelly found a home 90 miles from Washington.
Fate would take him to Youngstown State, a Football Championship Subdivision program, where he started 12 games at middle linebacker for the Penguins as a sophomore last fall, finishing third on the team with 84 tackles with one interception.
Youngstown State hired former Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini following the season, bringing a new coaching staff and a new defensive system for Kelly to learn, but that didn’t stop him. Kelly’s work this summer, which included two interceptions in the Penguins’ final preseason scrimmage last week, helped him keep his starting spot and gave him a chance to remind Pitt what they missed.
Kelly will return to the area Saturday when Youngstown State faces Pitt at Heinz Field (1 p.m.). It is the Penguins’ first game against the Panthers since defeating them, 31-17, in 2012.
“I can’t wait. A lot of people haven’t seen me play in a long time,” Kelly said. “Coming home and being in front of them is like old times. It just doesn’t feel real.”
Kelly arrived at Youngstown State as a talented, yet raw linebacker with a nose for the football, but nothing could prepare him for the reality of Division I football.
Physical gifts weren’t enough when he participated in his first practice as a freshman in 2013. His career at Wash High molded him into a hard-hitting defender that struck fear into opponents, but mentally, he wasn’t ready to be a three-down contributor for the Penguins.
One year made a wealth of difference. Kelly grabbed the starting job and never looked back. The 6-1, 240-pounder was one the Penguins’ most consistent players on defense, recording 10 or more tackles five times. It was Kelly’s mental approach to the game that grabbed the new coaching staff’s attention.
“Jaylin, by far, is one of our smarter players,” Youngstown State linebackers coach T.J. Hollowell said. “He’s a guy we rely on a lot to get us in the right fronts, get us in the right defenses. He’s a big part of what we do. Without him, we’d be in a world of hurt, I think.”
When Pitt first-year head coach Pat Narduzzi looked at Youngstown State’s depth chart for Saturday’s game, one thing stood out: the Penguins have 20 players from Pennsylvania on the roster, including 14 on the depth chart.
Kelly is one of five starters from the WPIAL and that does not include former Fort Cherry quarterback Tanner Garry, a junior, who is the Penguins’ holder on kicks.
“If you look at their two-deep, they have 14 guys from the state of Pennsylvania,” Narduzzi said at his press conference Monday. “When I look at that, I know where their heart is going to be on (gameday). They will come in, ready to go, probably guys who would have liked to have play at Pitt, didn’t get recruited for whatever reason, went there and will have a grudge when they come to Pittsburgh. They’ll have family there.”
There are no hard feelings on Kelly’s end. He’s focused on continuing his strong play for the Penguins and will return to Heinz Field for the first time since the WPIAL Class AA championship game in 2012, when Wash High lost to Aliquippa, 34-7.
It was a disappointing finish to a breakthrough season for Kelly. An Observer-Reporter Elite 11 selection, Kelly had 114 tackles, eight sacks, an interception and forced five fumbles as a senior.
He also played fullback, carrying the football 46 times for 280 yards and a touchdown. His knowledge of the game and physical attributes helped Wash High’s defense allow just 12.2 points per game. Prexies head coach Mike Bosnic isn’t surprised that it translated to college football.
“I always anticipated him having a lot of success at the next level,” Bosnic said. “I’m not surprised at all. I knew he’d be a great player. I’m proud of him and he’s turned into a great player there. He’s a kid who got better every year.”
Kelly doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Though he wants to help the 14th-ranked Penguins reach the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2006, Kelly’s first order of business is leaving Heinz Field with a win.
“I wish I could go back and do it all again, or get to play in that Aliquippa game again,” Kelly said of his high school career. “I get the chance to go back out there and win on that same field. It doesn’t feel real.”