Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 10/21/1997
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Previous Club: Crawley Town FC
College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Height: 5-10
Jeremy Kelly enters his second season with the Black and Yellow after joining on a multi-year contract in June 2025, bringing with him a wealth of playing experience at home and abroad.
Kelly, 28, featured in 14 matches across all competitions in 2025 after arriving in Charleston following a two-season spell in England with Crawley Town FC. Kelly made his Battery debut on June 28 in the USL Cup and immediately logged an assist. He scored his first goal in Charleston colors on August 24 against Loudoun United FC.
The versatile midfielder played for Crawley Town FC for the prior year and a half and was a key piece for the West Sussex side. Kelly initially joined Crawley Town during the 2023-24 season and helped them earn promotion to the EFL League One. In the 2024-25 campaign, Kelly was celebrated by the Crawley Observer as the club’s Player of the Year.
In total, Kelly made 65 appearances across all competitions in England, scoring five goals and adding five assists.
He previously played for Head Coach Ben Pirmann in Memphis, alongside Aaron Molloy and Graham Smith.
Kelly’s breakout campaign was in 2022 with Memphis 901 FC under Coach Pirmann’s guidance, recording eight goals and 10 assists across 37 matches. He totaled 12 goals and 11 assists in 74 overall matches from 2022 to 2023.
Kelly was initially drafted ninth overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by Montreal Impact, and was immediately traded to Colorado Rapids. He made his MLS debut on July 12 that year and competed for the Rapids through 2021, with a loan stint to Phoenix Rising FC.
For his collegiate career, Kelly had a decorated tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2016 to 2019. Kelly was an All-ACC selection his senior year and helped lead the Tar Heels to NCAA College Cup appearances in 2016 and 2017.
Kelly was born in the Czech Republic and lived in France when he was younger before growing up in North Carolina.
