SAN ANTONIO – JJ Kelly is the latest Roadrunner to join the UTSA men’s basketball team for the 2026-27 season for the third campaign under head coach Austin Claunch. Announced on Friday, the transfer guard is the fourth spring signing announced by the Roadrunners.
“JJ Kelly is an elite high-level athlete with tremendous versatility and impact on both ends of the floor," Claunch said. "His ability to play multiple positions, create offense, defend at a high level and make winning plays gives our program a dynamic piece that fits perfectly with the style we want to play at UTSA. He competes with toughness, plays with great energy and brings a skill set that will excite our fans and elevate our roster immediately."
Playing his freshman year in 2025-26 at Ohio University, Kelly is a 6-foot-6, 195-pound guard originally from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. In his rookie campaign with the Bobcats, Kelly played in 31 games with 26 starts. Kelly averaged 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 26.6 minutes, shooting 52 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from three and 77.3 percent at the free throw line. He scored in double-figures in 14 games and also registered a team-high 26 blocks on the year.
Coming out of Chambersburg Area Senior High School, he was named to the 2025 PennLive Big 15 First Team and PennLive Big 15 All-Defensive Team as a senior after averaging 22.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists a night, helping the Trojans reach the second round of the state tournament with a 21-7 record. That season, he was a Pennsylvania Sports Writers (PSW) All-State Third Team honoree and earned Mid Penn Commonwealth Conference First Team accolades. As a junior, Kelly averaged 21.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game and was named PSW All-State Second Team in addition to a first team all-conference nod. He wrapped his high school career as the all-time scoring leader in Chambersburg basketball history at 1,951 points with 37 double-doubles. He was named to PennLive’s 25 for 25: Mid-Penn’s Best Players of the Century So Far in August 2025 after averaging 18.1 points and 8.4 rebounds in his career while leading the Trojans to a 74-34 record and a program-first four consecutive state tournament appearances.
Before turning his focus to basketball, Kelly was a decorated multi-sport athlete, Kelly was named the PA MileSplit Field Athlete of the Year as a sophomore, winning back-to-back outdoor state championships in the triple jump, with one indoor triple jump title as well. In addition to the triple jump victory, in 2023 he won the PIAA State Championships in the high jump, was on the state champion 4x100-meter relay and was third in long jump. He broke five combined school records across his indoor and outdoor track career. He was named to MileSplit’s 2025 National Top-50 Track & Field Recruits list. In football, Kelly was a standout wide receiver with Division I offers extended before his shift to basketball.
- UTSA -