2024 Football Roster
Kelly, Kiael
Jersey Number 1
Kiael Kelly
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 197
- Class:
- Redshirt Junior
- Hometown:
- Tampa, Fla.
- Prev School:
- Gaither HS
- High School:
- Gaither HS
Bio
Awards and Honors:
2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Preseason Watchlist
2025 AFCA Good Works Team nominee
2024 Preseason All-MAC (fourth team DB & return specialist by Phil Steele College Football Preview)
2021 Bill Meitzler Scout Team Player of the Year (offense)
Ball State Daily News (Oct. 30, 2024): Kiael Kelly continues to lead his "Kelly Krewe" during whirlwind season
Ball State Daily News (Aug. 13, 2024): Cardinal football's DB group hoping confidence and long-lasting friendships translate to wins
Ball State Daily News (Nov. 17, 2023): QB1: Kiael Kelly's near-three-year journey to becoming Ball State's football facilitator
Muncie Star Press (Oct. 14, 2023): Kiael Kelly addresses media after first career start
Ball State Daily News (Oct. 14, 2023): Despite a loss to Toledo, Kiael Kelly established a new offensive identity for Ball State football in the first start
Without question, Kiael Kelly is one of the most dynamic athletes in college football ... after earning six starts as the Ball State starting QB in 2023, he returned in 2024 (after a brief flirtation with the transfer portal) with eyes on a starting role in the defensive backfield (that never transpired) ... instead, a return to the offense featured a variety of positions and matchups that evolved with each game, hoping to catch defenses in a mismatch aimed at accenting his playmaking ability with the ball in his hands ... briefly entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2023 season, and again prior to the final game of 2024 ... chose to return to the Cardinals with emphasis on his role as an "athlete" prior to 2024; then again last December with the prospect of playing quarterback under new head coach Mike Uremovich who employs a run-friendly offense that may feature an athletic QB ... off the field he is committed to helping children as part of a "Kelly's Krewe" youth program he sponsors himself ... first name pronounced ky-ELL.
2024 (R-Jr.): Lined up at QB, halfback, slot and wide receiver throughout the season while appearing in 11 of 12 games ... rushed 35 times for 91 yards and scored his lone touchdown on a 9-yard run at Vanderbilt .(Oct. 19) .. finished the season 2-of-4 passing for eight yards ... recorded four receptions for a -19 yards that included a fumbled lateral on the game's final play at Central Michigan (Sept. 21) ... 79 total snaps in 2024 by position: 43 at QB, 8 at RB, 5 at left wide receiver, 2 at right wide receiver, 11 at left slot receiver, 10 at right slot receiver.
2023 (R-So.): Kelly took QB snaps in all 12 games last year, earning starts in six straight games to end the year ... Ball State was 3-3 with Kelly under center, losing only to Toledo, Miami and Bowling Green by a total of 12 points ... assumed the starting QB job in Week 7 against Toledo (Oct. 14) after injuries helped dictate a new offensive scheme that featured Kelly and RB Marquez Cooper as its primary runners ... with Kelly at the helm, the Cardinals rush for 1,412 yards over the final six games, for an average of 235 yards ... team's second-leading rusher with 724 yards on 135 attempts ... led Ball State with seven rushing TDs, the most by a Ball State QB since Riley Neal in 2016 (8) ... 136 rush yards against Miami (Nov. 25) were the third-most ever by a Cardinals QB, and the most since Art Yaroch in 1975 (149 vs. Akron) and 1976 (142 at Northern Illinois) ... finished with 577 passing yards, throwing 66-of-124 with three INTs and two TDs ... he also caught six passes over a two-game stretch against Georgia Southern (2) and Western Michigan (4) ... combined, he accounted for 1,340 total yards: 724 rushing, 577 passing and 39 receiving ... started in seven games overall, actually lining up as a receiver on the first play of the season opener at Kentucky.
2022 (R-Fr.): Only appearance came in season's final game at Miami (Nov. 22) ... completed his only pass for 23 yards and he carried eight times for 83 yards ... longest carry was for 40 yards.
2021 (Fr.): Took a redshirt.
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letterwinner at Gaither High School ... played for head coach Kirk Karson … 3-star recruit via 247Sports … totaled more than 5,000 passing yards to go with 60 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns in his career ... an all-state and all-conference selection ... led his team to an 11-0 start as a senior ... led his team to the state semifinals twice ... team captain as a junior ... also plays basketball and baseball ... member of the high honor roll.
PERSONAL: Son of Jaclyn and Kenny Kelly … has two brothers and two sisters … father, Kenny, played quarterback at Miami (Fla.) and reached the major leagues as an outfielder over two seasons (26 games) with the Devil Rays, Reds and Nationals organizations.
2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Preseason Watchlist
2025 AFCA Good Works Team nominee
2024 Preseason All-MAC (fourth team DB & return specialist by Phil Steele College Football Preview)
2021 Bill Meitzler Scout Team Player of the Year (offense)
Ball State Daily News (Oct. 30, 2024): Kiael Kelly continues to lead his "Kelly Krewe" during whirlwind season
Ball State Daily News (Aug. 13, 2024): Cardinal football's DB group hoping confidence and long-lasting friendships translate to wins
Ball State Daily News (Nov. 17, 2023): QB1: Kiael Kelly's near-three-year journey to becoming Ball State's football facilitator
Muncie Star Press (Oct. 14, 2023): Kiael Kelly addresses media after first career start
Ball State Daily News (Oct. 14, 2023): Despite a loss to Toledo, Kiael Kelly established a new offensive identity for Ball State football in the first start
Without question, Kiael Kelly is one of the most dynamic athletes in college football ... after earning six starts as the Ball State starting QB in 2023, he returned in 2024 (after a brief flirtation with the transfer portal) with eyes on a starting role in the defensive backfield (that never transpired) ... instead, a return to the offense featured a variety of positions and matchups that evolved with each game, hoping to catch defenses in a mismatch aimed at accenting his playmaking ability with the ball in his hands ... briefly entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2023 season, and again prior to the final game of 2024 ... chose to return to the Cardinals with emphasis on his role as an "athlete" prior to 2024; then again last December with the prospect of playing quarterback under new head coach Mike Uremovich who employs a run-friendly offense that may feature an athletic QB ... off the field he is committed to helping children as part of a "Kelly's Krewe" youth program he sponsors himself ... first name pronounced ky-ELL.
2024 (R-Jr.): Lined up at QB, halfback, slot and wide receiver throughout the season while appearing in 11 of 12 games ... rushed 35 times for 91 yards and scored his lone touchdown on a 9-yard run at Vanderbilt .(Oct. 19) .. finished the season 2-of-4 passing for eight yards ... recorded four receptions for a -19 yards that included a fumbled lateral on the game's final play at Central Michigan (Sept. 21) ... 79 total snaps in 2024 by position: 43 at QB, 8 at RB, 5 at left wide receiver, 2 at right wide receiver, 11 at left slot receiver, 10 at right slot receiver.
2023 (R-So.): Kelly took QB snaps in all 12 games last year, earning starts in six straight games to end the year ... Ball State was 3-3 with Kelly under center, losing only to Toledo, Miami and Bowling Green by a total of 12 points ... assumed the starting QB job in Week 7 against Toledo (Oct. 14) after injuries helped dictate a new offensive scheme that featured Kelly and RB Marquez Cooper as its primary runners ... with Kelly at the helm, the Cardinals rush for 1,412 yards over the final six games, for an average of 235 yards ... team's second-leading rusher with 724 yards on 135 attempts ... led Ball State with seven rushing TDs, the most by a Ball State QB since Riley Neal in 2016 (8) ... 136 rush yards against Miami (Nov. 25) were the third-most ever by a Cardinals QB, and the most since Art Yaroch in 1975 (149 vs. Akron) and 1976 (142 at Northern Illinois) ... finished with 577 passing yards, throwing 66-of-124 with three INTs and two TDs ... he also caught six passes over a two-game stretch against Georgia Southern (2) and Western Michigan (4) ... combined, he accounted for 1,340 total yards: 724 rushing, 577 passing and 39 receiving ... started in seven games overall, actually lining up as a receiver on the first play of the season opener at Kentucky.
2022 (R-Fr.): Only appearance came in season's final game at Miami (Nov. 22) ... completed his only pass for 23 yards and he carried eight times for 83 yards ... longest carry was for 40 yards.
2021 (Fr.): Took a redshirt.
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letterwinner at Gaither High School ... played for head coach Kirk Karson … 3-star recruit via 247Sports … totaled more than 5,000 passing yards to go with 60 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns in his career ... an all-state and all-conference selection ... led his team to an 11-0 start as a senior ... led his team to the state semifinals twice ... team captain as a junior ... also plays basketball and baseball ... member of the high honor roll.
PERSONAL: Son of Jaclyn and Kenny Kelly … has two brothers and two sisters … father, Kenny, played quarterback at Miami (Fla.) and reached the major leagues as an outfielder over two seasons (26 games) with the Devil Rays, Reds and Nationals organizations.
Football // Bye Week with Charlie Cardinal
Friday, September 26
Football // Together: Episode 5 - Produced by Sports Link
Friday, September 26
Football // Magwood to Kelly trick play touchdown
Monday, September 22
Football // UConn Preview
Friday, September 19
