2026 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: AJ Kelly, OL, South Dakota School of Mines

• Name: AJ Kelly
• Position: OL
• College: South Dakota School of Mines
• Height: 6′ 6 3/4″
• Weight: 333 lbs
• X: @theajkelly02
• Instagram: @aj_.kelly

What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

I was always a big kid growing up and my dad and I would watch football on Sundays and Saturdays and I always knew deep down that’s what I want to do. It’s always straight forward for me. My dad never played sports and he told me I better try and once I did, I fell in love.

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

I would have to say one of my favorite moments was being a freshman and just playing in that first game, stepping onto the field for the first time and I remember my first rep was against a left tackle from Sheridan, Wyoming. He was a commit to Wyoming at the time and I remember my first rep against him i kind of blew him up and then the next rep he kind of blew me up so that’s one of my favorite memories because it was my welcome to football moment. And then in college my favorite memory has been this entire experience just every Saturday going out with my best friends and my brothers, my family and just going to war with the five guys in the trenches. It’s just every Saturday is my best memory it seems like.

Which one of your family members inspires you the most and why?

My wife, she’s amazing. She has sacrificed so much to keep me in school while she works ever since she graduated last year, we had our daughter. She sacrifices everything every day and every day that is inspiring to me because she’s just sacrificed so much for me. And I’m very grateful for her.

What are you looking forward to in your upcoming season?

I have a pretty hefty goal for myself. I want to give up zero sacks and even zero pressures and I’m super excited to try to accomplish that goal. I got pretty close last year and this year I’m going to get it. I’m looking forward to going to war every Saturday with my brothers on the line, I love it. I love the violence and all that, there’s nothing like being an offensive linemen.

If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day, who and why?

I think it’d be really cool to hang out with Joe Thomas and just pick his brain because he’s so smart when it comes to football at the offensive line level it would be amazing to just hang out with him and he seems like a really cool guy as well.

What are your favorite things about playing football for South Dakota School of Mines?

My favorite things are probably like the grind we have to go through with having a very tough academic school. I mean most people go to school for academics, not football so we’re all kind of in the same boat and it’s a grind. I love the grind. I also love the brotherhood it’s definitely different than most college teams because we go through everything together. We’re up late studying almost every night together. The brotherhood is amazing, I love it.

What should we know about AJ Kelly the person?

I consider myself a blue-collar worker, I love the hard work. I’m a family man, I love my daughter, I love my wife, I love my parents, my siblings and my in-laws. I’m a family guy, that just loves hard work, I grew up in it and I don’t shy away from it.

What is your favorite offensive scheme and why?

I would have to say Inside Zone, I like running the ball, every offensive linemen should always say that but I love it because it’s like the truest form of football and you can just hand the ball off and see what the offensive line can do. It’s five offensive linemen against six or seven defenders and you know we got to win with physicality. It’s a violent sport made for violent men and I love it up there on the line.

How do you handle challenges both in life and on the football field?

Head first, you can’t be afraid to fail, you’re going to fail at some point might as well just learn from it and keep moving on. Successes will come. You know people won’t remember you’re failures as much as your successes so just head first and dive on in and there’s nothing to be scared of and if you fail just try again.

What would a team get in a player like you?

Someone who is not going to let anyone outwork him, a person who loves the physicality of the game and someone who’s going to bring it every day. A true hard worker from Wyoming.

What stands out about your film the most?

Definitely my physicality, I love taking people to the ground and going there with him. If you can’t finish a block you can’t finish anything. If it’s pass or run or anything it’s physical, your guy can’t make a play if he’s on the ground.

Who is the most underrated player you’ve played with and why?

I would have to say Jeremiah Bridges from my freshman and redshirts freshman year. He was a wide receiver we had and he was just amazing at what he did. You know a lot of our game plan seemed like throw it up Jeremiah’s down there somewhere. He was a great leader, one of the big guys that took alot of the freshman under his wing and helped us out. Can’t replace what he did for our team from a leadership standpoint.