By SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Class of 2025 three-star shooting guard Leroy Kelly IV has scheduled two official visits to Rice (Sept. 12-14) and Mercer (Sept. 27-29), he told ZAGSBLOG. The 6-foot-3, 165-pound guard from Dynamic Prep and the Drive Nation Nike EYBL AAU program is also scheduling an official to Texas A&M soon.
The guard is coming off a stock-improving showing at Peach Jam, averaging 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.0 minutes per game. Most importantly, Kelly was a key floor spacer for Drive Nation, who’s offense centers around big man Jaden Toombs. Kelly knocked down 7-of-20 shots from deep and also shot over 90% from the free throw line. Drive Nation went 4-2 during Peach Jam and fell to tournament champions Nightrydas Elite in the quarterfinals.
“I’m just a do it all type of guy,” Kelly said of his game. “I feel like I can do a lot of different things. I’m a Swiss army knife. I can shoot the ball. I defend at a high level. I rebound. I feel like I can do a little bit of everything.”
Besides Mercer, Rice and Texas A&M, Kelly said schools like Oral Roberts, Sam Houston, Texas State and UMass are also in the mix. He broke down some of these programs to ZAGSBLOG:
Mercer: “Coach Ben Witherspoon, he’s been recruiting me really hard since he was at UCF and everything has been super genuine with them.”
Oral Roberts: “They offered me at Peach Jam. Coach [Russell] Springmann says I fit their style of play well, and he thinks I can be really good for them.”
Rice: “It’s in Houston, so it’s in Texas, close to home not too far from Dallas. The coaching staff is like a family. They’re all genuine people. I feel like it’s a family over there. I like the program. Coach [Rob] Lanier, he’s a really good coach. He took Georgia State to the tournament when he was there. He lets his guards play and they defend at a really high level. So I could see myself in that program for sure.”
Sam Houston: “Coach Jake [White]. So coach Jake, he was at Link Academy when I was a freshman, and he was trying to get me out there and I chose to stay at my own school. But then when he got the job at Sam Houston on the first contact period he offered me. He’s just always been in contact and it’s not even just about basketball with him. He just calls me to ask how I’m doing, so he’s just a really good guy. Coach [Chris] Mudge, they won the conference USA tournament last year. So that was a really good team. They had a really good program down there. It’s a really good program and it’s a really good situation they got going there. So I could maybe see myself going there too.”
Texas State: “Yea coach T.J. [Terrence Johnson]. Their whole staff they’ve been on me since like my freshman year. I really like them. It’s like a family environment as well. They let their guards play, they let their freshman guards play. They had a freshman guard that played like 20 minutes a game I think last year, so that really stands out to me. They defend, run a lot of screens and roll. They just really let their guards play and I really feel like I could see myself in their program maybe.”
UMass: “Coach Matt [Figger], he started recruiting me. He was the head coach at UTRGV last season. He’s at UMass now. They just started recruiting me like maybe a month ago. They like dogs and I fit their style of play. They said they just want dogs who win and are tough. So he said I could really fit their style of play. Yeah that’s what I like about their program. I’m going to schedule an official out there for sure.”
Kelly said at Peach Jam that Rice and Texas State were on him the hardest and contacting him the most.
The guard is ranked the No. 212 overall player in the 2025 class by 247Sports. This summer, Kelly believes he’s showed college coaches he’s a winner and an elite defender.
“I grew up this summer as a player and individual,” Kelly said. “Just mentally being able to do a lot of different things even with limited minutes. Just being able to impact the game and do whatever it takes to help the team.”
Kelly isn’t the only hooper in the family. His father, Leroy Kelly III, played basketball at Alcorn State. He got in a car accident and was unable to finish his career at Alcorn.
“He said he was better than me but I don’t think so,” Kelly IV said.
Kelly also has two older sisters. One played basketball, but not at the college level. A weird talent of Kelly’s is making music/beats on his phone.
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