Who is LB Keli Lawson?

First-year Virginia Tech Head Coach Brent Pry has continued to evaluate his roster to try and find a way to fill roster gaps and get the best players on the field, which has included several position changes during the spring and fall camp.

One of those position changes moved 6-foot 6-inch, 212-pound redshirt freshman Kelly Lawson from the offensive side of the ball to defense.

The redshirt freshman is currently battling for a spot among Virginia Tech’s linebacker unit as fall camp continues.

Who is Kelly Lawson?

As a recruit, the Sherando (Stephen’s City, VA) prospect only netted a small handful of scholarship offers, two of which came from the in-state ACC programs.

During the summer of 2020, Virginia Tech extended a scholarship offer to Lawson, which he accepted less than three weeks later. A lack of summer camps and a delayed football season, which was attributed to COVID-19, contributed to Lawson’s lack of college interest despite being a three-sport athlete in high school and showcasing freaky athleticism for his size.

Initially, Lawson was ranked as an 84 three-star prospect before making a massive leap to the No. 10 prospect in Virginia by 247Sports when he was ranked as a four-star prospect.

“Lawson played outside linebacker for Sherando and was a force as an edge rusher,” 247Sports National Analyst Brian Dohn said about Lawson following his update to four-star status one year ago. “He showed speed and body control and was able to change direction and tackle in space. Lawson was able to stack and shed, and his quickness was evident when disengaging filling a gap.

“He was the best athlete on the field in games, and he dominated in a way he should. Lawson chased plays to the sideline, tracked down ball carriers from behind and played physical.

“Lawson has the athleticism to drop into coverage, and the size to match up with a tight end. He shows so short area quickness.”

Once Lawson arrived on campus, he surprisingly moved to the offensive side of the ball under the previous staff. As a true freshman, Lawson saw game snaps against Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Duke, and Miami, contributing mostly on special teams. By playing in just four games, he was able to retain his redshirt and enters the 2022 season as a redshirt freshman.

In high school, Lawson played football, basketball, and competed in track and field. He played wide receiver, defensive end, and linebacker at Sherando.