The Kelly family has had plenty of football milestones to celebrate lately. But this weekend came with a different kind of highlight—one full of sibling joy. LSU Tigers’ head coach Brian Kelly already got his emotional football moment last August when his youngest son, Kenzel Kelly, transferred to LSU after four seasons at Grand Valley State. It was a dream come true for a football dad to coach his son for one final collegiate run. But this time, the spotlight wasn’t on a big game or press conference. It was on something far more personal.

Enter Grace Kelly, Brian’s daughter and Kenzel’s proud big sister. On Kenzel’s birthday, she took to Instagram to share a heartfelt moment that had all the makings of a happy-cry memory. Her story featured a sweet collage of throwback sibling pictures—candid, goofy, and full of love. With it came the caption: “Happy birthday kenzel. Being your older sister is my favorite job!!! Love you.” It was a two-sentence love letter from a sister who’s seen her younger brother grow from backyard scrimmages to the SEC stage.

And for Kenzel, this birthday comes on the heels of a quiet but steady grind. After redshirting in 2020, he didn’t see the field until 2022 with Grand Valley State. His numbers weren’t eye-popping—five games, five total tackles, including one for loss—but his determination was. That same work ethic now brings him to Baton Rouge, where he wears No. 50 as an LB for the Tigers, a team with playoff ambitions and a chip on its shoulder. He arrives with one year of eligibility left and a rare opportunity to play under his father in the SEC.

The Tigers are preparing to kick off the 2025 season with a sense of urgency. LSU hasn’t won a season opener since 2019, and this year’s debut is no warm-up. They’ll face off against the USC Trojans, a ranked opponent with high-octane weapons and big-stage swagger. But that’s exactly the kind of test LSU needs. And for Kenzel, it’s a shot to earn real reps in a defense that is rebuilding its identity under a stable coaching core.

That’s why Brian Kelly’s confidence in his roster this spring feels especially pointed. Just days ago, the HC addressed the portal speculation swirling around most major programs. But he’s content with what he’s got. “I like our roster right now,” Kelly said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we didn’t have anybody in the portal on either side, either leaving our program or adding. If you ask me right now, I would be happy to take this roster right into May on both sides of it. Maybe that’s fool’s gold. Maybe that’s wishing more than it is anything else, but I like what we’ve done with this roster. I like the development of it.”

There’s something poetic in that—father coaching son, sister cheering from the sideline, and the entire family wrapped into one locker room.

Brian Kelly’s new batch is already turning heads at LSU

Brian Kelly wrapped up LSU’s spring practice with more than a few pleasant surprises—but the biggest eyebrow-raiser? How quickly his young guns are catching on. LSU’s early enrollees didn’t just show up—they showed out.

Coach Kelly has been really impressed with his youngsters. He explained what’s stood out to him about how these young players are handling things: “I just think overall, the understanding of how to go out and compete in practice has been really, for me, outstanding for the young guys to pick it up, like Solomon Thomas and Carius Curne.”

“They’ve done an incredible job as young players coming in and understanding how to compete,” Kelly said after spring practices wrapped last month. “The DJ Pickett’s, all of our mid-year freshmen, have come in and really have adapted so quickly. And I guess that’s why they’re mid-years, right?”

Leading the pack is DJ Pickett, the crown jewel of LSU’s 2025 recruiting class. Ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings, Pickett is a blue-chip defensive back who committed last summer and wasted no time getting on campus to make an impact.

“This is the first class that I’ve had at mid-semester where it’s not like, ‘that guy is so far away,’” Kelly admitted. “It just feels like they’ve been here, and that’s been a bit of a surprise.” These freshmen aren’t just soaking it in—they’re already in the mix. Don’t be shocked if one or two of these young studs trot out in LSU uniforms come Week 1.