The first publicly known commit in the Colorado State football 2026 recruiting class is a quarterback who has put up prolific numbers.
Darnell Kelly announced his verbal commitment to the Rams on X Thursday, becoming the first recruit in the class to publicly announce he would join the Rams in the next signing class.
Kelly is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound quarterback from Fairburn, Georgia.
At Peachtree Ridge last season as a junior Kelly had 2,521 passing yards (67% completion percentage) with 28 passing touchdowns and just six interceptions. Kelly also ran the ball for 463 yards and another five touchdowns.
In two seasons as a varsity starter at Peachtree Ridge he had 5,240 passing yards, 55 passing touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He ran for 852 yards and 14 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Kelly will play his senior year at Langston Hughes High School in Georgia.
Kelly is rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and On3 Sports. Per 247Sports, he has reported offers from more than 20 schools including Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tulane, Miami (Ohio) and more.
Kelly was on a recruiting visit to CSU this week.
While Kelly is the first recruit to publicly share his commitment for the 2026 class, CSU recruiting staffers have teased on social media that there are other players who have done so privately.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Quarterback Darnell Kelly commits to Colorado State football program
