Stanford senior cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly has been named a Phil Steele Preseason All-American. Kelly led the Pac-12 in passes defended last season (12) while also totaling 37 solo tackles, 16 assists, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. There was some discussion about whether or not Kelly would leave for the NFL after his junior season, but he decided to come back for his senior year.
Head coach David Shaw had great things to say about Kelly back in the spring. There are high expectations for him and the hope is that he’ll be a major piece of a Stanford defense that has a strong bounce back performance.
“I really believe, I think he’s one of the best corners in our conference last year and could make an argument that he was the best corner in the conference last year,” Shaw said of Kelly. “Led the conference in pass break ups, I anticipate him being the best corner in the conference this year and one of the best in America.”
In terms of what he most needs to work on to improve his game, Shaw feels like technique and just the little nuances of the game are what he most needs to work on. If he can get better in those areas, the sky is truly the limit to what he can accomplish as a senior.
“The standard answer of course is everything, but technique,” Shaw said of what Kelly most needs to work on. “Like the small things. He’s already long, he’s already fast, he’s already got great ball skills, he’s already got great experience, he’s already a physical tackler, probably the most physical tackler in our conference at corner. But now it’s just those little, tiny things about anticipation and reading routes and being better in press coverage and being better in off and really taking the next step between the ears.”
As Stanford looks to have an improved 2022 season, the performance of Kyu Blu Kelly is going to be crucial. On top of his physical skills, his maturity and experience are things that should really serve the defense well. It’ll be fun to see what type of impact he makes.
About Phil Steele:
“His superior knowledge of the game has landed him on the voting committee for every major post-season awards including the prestigious Heisman Trophy. You may recognize Phil from his appearances on national television and radio shows. However, Phil is best known for his preseason magazine, which has been dubbed “the college football bible” by many experts in the industry. The magazine gives a complete breakdown of every team in the country and predicts how they will do in the upcoming season.”-PhilSteele.com
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