Ryan Kelley Sets Decision Date: Odds on Where 2017 4-Star QB Lands
Another marquee passer in the 2017 cycle is set to come off the board next week when 4-star quarterback Ryan Kelley will announce his commitment.
"— ⚡️RK⚡️ (@Ryankelley_14) November 3, 2015"
Two weeks ago, the 6’2.5”, 170-pounder announced a top five that included Arizona State, California, Michigan State, Oregon and UCLA.
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According to Barton Simmons of 247Sports, Kelley, who has accounted for nearly 3,000 yards of total offense this season, will make his decision next Wednesday.
Regardless of where he lands, the nation’s No. 3 pro-style passer and the No. 65 player overall in the 2017 cycle figures to give that program a huge boost on the recruiting trail.
What are the odds for each of his finalists heading into the final days before his announcement?
Let’s break down each program’s chances with Kelley.
California and Michigan State: 15-1
Both Cal and Michigan State offered Kelley in the summer.
Also, in Cal’s Jared Goff and Michigan State’s Connor Cook, both programs have passers who are widely regarded as two of the nation’s elite quarterbacks.
However, neither program has generated much traction recently with Kelley—at least not when compared to his other finalists.
The Spartans do have a pledge from 2017 4-star receiver Hunter Rison—who used to be a teammate of Kelley’s at Basha (Arizona) High School, as noted by Justin Hopkins of Duck Territory.
While that connection is a plus, it appears as if both the Bears and Spartans are on the outside looking in with regard to Kelley’s upcoming decision.
UCLA: 10-1
Given the success that current UCLA star freshman quarterback Josh Rosen is having this year, it’s easy to see why the Bruins appeal to touted passers such as Kelley.
Coincidentally, with Rosen seemingly locked in to lead the Bruins for at least the next two years, the Bruins could be searching for his eventual successor in the 2017 class.
Kelley is one of six quarterbacks in the 2017 cycle who have earned an offer from head coach Jim Mora Jr. and his staff.
According to Hopkins, a big reason why the Bruins made the final cut for Kelley is because of his comfort level with Mora and his staff.
Hopkins also notes that he has visited the UCLA campus multiple times—which makes the Bruins a valid dark horse in the race to land Kelley.
Arizona State: 7-1
Arizona State began the week by landing the top in-state prospect in the 2016 cycle when 4-star receiver N’keal Harry pledged to the Sun Devils.
Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham and his staff would love to continue their push to keep Arizona’s top recruits close to home by landing Kelley.
While the Sun Devils are the home state school, Kelley told Hopkins that distance isn’t an issue in his decision-making process.
“I have some former teammates at ASU and they tell me great things about it. It's obviously also very close to home, but that's not really a big factor,” Kelly told Hopkins.
Still, his familiarity with the coaches and the players at Arizona State is a big reason why the Sun Devils have to be considered one of the favorites to land Kelley’s pledge next week.
Oregon: 5-1
The Ducks have the benefit of being the program Kelley last visited. As noted by Hopkins, he made a three-day visit in October and was accompanied on the trip by his family.
He got to spend time with the coaches and players and came away with glowing remarks about his trek to Eugene.
"I liked everything about Oregon. The stadium, the tradition, the atmosphere and how the players all got along,” Kelley told Hopkins. “I hung out with coach (Scott) Frost and coach (Mark) Helfrich a lot. They talked about how I fit the offense and they think I have one of the strongest arms in the country. They told me they are going to stay recruiting me until they know if I'm coming or not. They said I'm the guy for them."
The Ducks have clearly identified Kelley as their priority at the quarterback spot in the 2017 cycle—so much so that he’s the only junior quarterback that head coach Mark Helfrich and his staff have offered.
His skill set also appears to be a natural fit for the Ducks uptempo spread attack.
While it wouldn’t be a complete shock for him to head elsewhere, the Ducks seem to have the most momentum with Kelley heading into his announcement.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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