Nyjalik Kelly is a edge rusher and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his final two seasons with the UCF Knights after beginning his collegiate career at the University of Miami. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Kelly attended Dillard High School, where he totaled 25 sacks over his final two prep seasons and earned first-team All-Broward recognition from the Miami Herald. He was rated a consensus four-star recruit in the 2022 class, ranked No. 119 overall by ESPN, before choosing Miami over offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, and Texas. At Miami he recorded four sacks as a true freshman in 2022 before a shoulder injury cut his sophomore season short in 2023, after which he transferred to UCF, where he became an immediate starter and earned back-to-back All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors while recording a combined 99 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks across two seasons with the Knights.
Standing 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds with the longest arms measured among edge rushers at the 2026 NFL Combine, Kelly is known for his impressive size and length, his ability to set a firm edge in run defense, and his upside as a pass rusher who can win with his frame and effort at the point of attack. His combination of elite measurables, experience against Big 12 competition, and a high school pedigree that drew interest from nearly every major program in the country positions him as a developmental edge rusher with the physical tools to compete for a roster spot and contribute on special teams at the professional level.
