Syracuse has been on the trail of star quarterback recruit Chad Kelly for a while now, but even after the Orange made Kelly‚Äôs “top 7 list” some fans were skeptical on competing with the likes of Alabama and Florida State. At one point it looked like Clemson might be the favorite, but after Kelly‚Äôs visit to SU this weekend, one thing is clear: the Orange is a serious contender in the battle for the Buffalo quarterback and nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly.
I had an exclusive interview with Chad during his visit during the Upstate/Downstate Classic and it was obvious that he is VERY high on SU. During a four-minute interview, Kelly used the words “awesome” or “great” ten times in describing Syracuse.
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If Doug Marrone and his coaches eventually land the four-star quarterback, the staff itself will deserve a lot of the credit. To say Kelly was complementary of the SU coaches would be an understatement:
“Coach Marrone, Coach Hackett, I probably have the best relationship with them out of any of the coaches I’ve talked to.  Coach Hackett, he’s awesome man Рmaking me laugh all the time and everything.  He took great care of us today, coach Marrone did too.  It was just great. I’m happy to be here and thankful for everything that’s happened.”
When asked what separates Syracuse from the other schools recruiting him, Kelly again tipped his cap to the coaching staff.
“I’d probably say my relationship with the coaches.  they definitely put themselves high on the list for sure, today was a great visit just got to know more and more people and plus the players, not every place I got visit with the players but talking to them sitting with em right now, they’re pretty sweet.”
Kelly comes from a close family in upstate New York. Again, advantage Orange.
“I drove it today [from his home to SU] it was probably about 2 hours, 2 and a half hours I’d say.  Buffalo’s still a half hour from my house since I live in Niagra Falls, but that’ll definitely persuade it a good bit.  Either one is a nice place, but Syracuse is awesome, it spoke for itself today.”
The only thing that would raise Orange fan’s hopes more than these glowing remarks about their program would be if they could have seen the smile on Kelly’s face as he said them. We are talking ear-to-ear grin. He clearly had a great visit to SU this weekend, and was legitimately excited about the prospect of playing for the Orange. Kelly stopped short of declaring a favorite, but after this visit Syracuse has at least stepped near the front of the line.
Kelly is set to visit Alabama and Clemson next weekend, and says he would like to make one more visit to SU with his family before making a decision. A return visit to The Hill would not be necessary unless he was seriously considering Syracuse.  He also said he will probably make his decision by the end of the month.
Doug Marrone may have hooked the big recruit we’ve been talking about this weekend.  Now all he’s got to do is reel him in.
Posted: Steve Neikam
6 responses to “Chad Kelly Sounds Pumped About His Syracuse Campus Visit”
At first I thought this kid was or would be a good get. He has problems of underage drinking and a class room incident are mentioned before. We have enough talent at QB. If HCDM is trying to prove the “keep NYS kids home” then this could prove wrong. We need defensive help and a good RB would not hurt either. Kelly is a type of player that will not change positions either, so why the big deal about his verbal. Jones is a bigger get and we are low on his list!!!
How many is too many QB’s?
Underage drinking isnt a huge issue it goes on all over the place and i bet even u terry drank before u were of age. Also kelly has a bigger upside then any qb the `Cuse has on the roster right now. I havent seen anywhere that jones said the `Cuse was low on his list. He’s planned a vist to the hill and hes a very soft to PSU.
With a name like Kelly, youd never ask him to change positions………however, Qb’s like Broyld are sometimes better suited to be lb’s.
JoPa wanted Jim Kelly to play linebacker at Penn State. That is how he ended up at the U. There is some history here, Kelly could end up being asked to change positions…. but he looks real good at QB. If he comes to the Cuse, someone will have to change positions.
ESPN came out with their ESPNU 150 top prospects for 2012, Kelly was ranked number 80 overall, and the #5 QB on the list. He would NOT switch positions at SU, however his presence could potentially force someone else, i.e. Broyld or Hunt to do so. After watching Broyld in the Upstate-Downstate game, he’s close to having a linebacker body right now, and we can only assume he’s going to bulk up more. And to answer orangecrush22’s question..there is no such thing as too many good QBs. Ever. Having multiple guys with talent at any position creates a competitive atmosphere, and eventually makes each player better.