Bridges is waiting in the wings behind one of our top 2027 tight ends, but should still get some run this season. We’re waiting to see more production before really moving him up the list, but the early returns are promising. He moves well, and we think he’ll have a big career. Still, there’s no reason to panic if he plays sparingly this season, given the depth chart. Just don’t be surprised if he pops, either.

A lot of people are high on this young man to have a big breakout season, and he fits the mold of another potential two-way contributor for the Storm. He’s primarily been working at tight end, and his size and reach, along with his speed, have intrigued some college programs. I’m excited to see what he can do as an EDGE prospect, and I suspect he will get his chance to show it. He’s got the physical frame already to warrant college offers, as he received one from Georgia Southern in late spring.

Kelly Bridges was the lone Class of 2029 prospect I covered at the Gardner-Webb Mega Camp, and he certainly didn’t look out of place competing against older athletes. Standing 6-foot-4 and over 215 pounds, Bridges was one of the biggest prospects in the tight end group regardless of classification and consistently made his presence felt throughout the camp.

The young tight end possesses an impressive frame for his age and showed flashes of why he is a name to remember in the coming years. His size immediately creates matchup issues, and he displayed the ability to compete with older, more physically mature athletes. Bridges moved well for a player of his stature and showed the natural tools that college coaches covet at the position.

With several years of high school football still ahead of him, Bridges already has the physical foundation to develop into one of the top tight end prospects in his class. The future is extremely bright for the talented 2029 standout.

Bridges popped up on the radar when Georgia Southern reached out with an early offer. He’s a name to file away for the future, as I’m not sure how often Stuart Cramer will run 12-personnel with Bridges behind a top 2027 tight end. That being said, the early returns in the weight room are promising, and the athletic two-way player looks like one of the top tight ends in the class.