Kelly chooses Ole Miss, eager to compete

The dialogue between Ole Miss and Chad Kelly had begun prior to his arrival in Oxford on Monday.

By midday Wednesday, the East Mississippi Community College quarterback had seen and heard enough.

Kelly, just days removed from leading the Lions to a NJCAA national championship, committed to Ole Miss Wednesday, adding a fascinating dynamic to what was already the most compelling storyline of the upcoming spring - the battle to replace Bo Wallace.

"The visit went excellent," Kelly said. "I had a strong vibe with a lot of the players and coaches. Everything went very well. That's why I felt like it'd be the right place for me to be.

"We'd been talking for a while now and we both had interest for a while, so I was just kind of getting a feel for the coaches. Once my family and brother were able to go up and see Oxford and talk to the coaches face to face, we all decided it would be a good fit for all the parties around. I know it's a great opportunity and I'm excited to get up there and work with all of the guys."

Kelly completed 304 of 454 passes for 3,905 yards and 47 touchdowns for East Mississippi this past season, one that concluded with a 31-17 win over Iowa Western in the Mississippi Bowl Sunday in Biloxi. Kelly threw just eight interceptions. Kelly also rushed 69 times for 446 yards and four scores.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Kelly was ranked No. 150 nationally by Rivals.com in 2012. The Buffalo, N.Y., native signed with Clemson, choosing the Tigers over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Michigan State and Purdue. Kelly tore the ACL in his left knee in Clemson's 2013 spring game, yet returned in time for a portion of the season.

In 2013, Kelly played in five games, completing 10 of 17 passes for 58 yards while rushing 16 times for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Kelly's Clemson career was derailed in April 2014 when he was dismissed from the program by Tigers coach Dabo Swinney for "conduct detrimental to our program."

Per an Associated Press report, Kelly threw a pair of interceptions and was not crisp in the Tigers' spring game last April. At one point, according to the Associated Press, Kelly's frustrations boiled over and he argued with coaches on the sideline.

Earlier that month, per the Associated Press, Kelly was riding in a car that accidently backed into the vehicle of former Miss South Carolina Ali Rogers, who had worked with the Tigers football team in the past. Per the AP, Rogers said Kelly tried to get her to not file a police report and became agitated and disrespectful toward her.

According to media reports, Kelly reacted "harshly" to news that Cole Stoudt would enter fall practice as the Tigers' starter.

"He has had a pattern of behavior that is not consistent with the values of our program," Swinney said in dismissing Kelly.

Kelly apologized for his behavior publicly shortly after his dismissal.

"I let my emotions get the best of me, culminating in this unfortunate situation with coach Swinney and the Clemson Tigers," Kelly said in a statement released to media last spring. "What's most important now is that I use this experience to grow as a student, as an athlete and most importantly, as a man."

"Hopefully, this will help him grow so he becomes the special person and player I know he can be," Swinney told the Associated Press in April.

Kelly said Wednesday he's put that experience behind him, adding that he always believed he'd get a second chance at the major-college level.

"I kind of go by the motto that you can't think bad," Kelly said. "If you think bad, bad will happen. You just have to think positive and just look forward. That's what I kept on doing and I never gave up."

Kelly's focus now is on getting to Oxford, competing for the Rebels' starting job and enjoying playing with a loaded wide receiver corps, one that will feature Laquon Treadwell, Evan Engram, Cody Core, Quincy Adeboyejo, Markell Pack, Demore'ea Stringfellow, Dayall Harris and possibly four-star prospect DaMarkus Lodge next fall.

"My job is just to get them the ball," Kelly said. "They make the plays. As long as I get them the ball, they can make the plays. I'm definitely very excited. I just can't wait to get to work and help the team as much as I can."

Wallace's Ole Miss career will end on New Year's Eve when the ninth-ranked Rebels face No. 6 TCU in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. That will leave redshirt freshmen DeVante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan and freshman Kendrick Doss to compete with Kelly for the quarterback job in the spring. Ole Miss also has a commitment from New Iberia, La., quarterback Jason Pellerin.

"I know everybody is going to give it their best," Kelly said. "I know everybody's going to go out and compete, and that's really all you can ask for. I know there are some great quarterbacks on the roster and I'm just excited to be part of the Rebel family and getting to work. …I'll be prepared for the spring. I've only got two years left, so I've got to go in and be prepared and when you get your chance, you've got to execute. I will try as much as I can to be prepared."

Swinney told Greenville (S.C.) Online that he's happy for his former quarterback's success.

"There is not a bigger fan of Chad Kelly than me," Swinney told the publication. "I hate that it didn't work out here. I want him to have great success. I'm really happy that he is doing well. Hopefully, he will continue to do that. There is no question about his ability to be a great quarterback, so I'm pleased that he is having a good season and picked himself up and moved forward.

"We recruited him to be a great player here. But I'm sure he will land at a great spot in January and hopefully have a great couple of years to finish his career and go on to play at the next level, because he has the ability to do all those things."

Kelly, the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, said he's got big goals in Oxford, adding that the national championship success in Scooba has whetted his appetite for more of the same on a much larger stage.

"I know the guys are all anxious just to get to work," Kelly said. "It's just going to be awesome because there are a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches there. It's going to be an awesome experience. I'm excited for the opportunity."