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Kenzel Kelly reveals Brian Kelly wanted to attend LSU senior day, blames new leadership for absence

by: Alex Byington9 hours ago_AlexByington
brian kelly tommy moffitt
SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brian Kelly‘s son, Kenzel, went through LSU‘s Senior Day festivities Saturday with one noticable absence on the field — his father, who was fired nearly a month ago amid his fourth season in Baton Rouge. During the pregame ceremony honoring the school’s outgoing senior class, the younger Kelly flashed an undershirt with his father’s initials “BK” written in black marker while yelling “Free my boy, BK. You know who.”

After Saturday’s game, which the host Tigers edged out a 13-10 win over Western Kentucky, Kenzel Kelly — a graduate senior linebacker — explained his father’s absence as the result of LSU’s “new leadership” denying their former head football coach the opportunity to celebrate his son’s final home game in person.

“BK wanted to be there for me…Unfortunately the new leadership at LSU did not see it the same way,” Kenzel tweeted with a prayer emoji and #freeBK hashtag.

Kelly was fired Oct. 26, one day after a disappointing 49-25 home loss to No. 3 Texas A&M. Though even that appears in dispute after Kelly filed a lawsuit against the LSU Board of Supervisors last week to recoup his full $54 million buyout following his announced firing nearly a month ago.

On Friday, the school’s Board of Supervisors authorized new school president Wade Rousse to send Kelly an official written notice of termination, according to Nola.com’s Wilson Alexander. Kelly’s lawsuit, which was obtained by On3‘s Pete Nakos, alleges the LSU Board of Supervisors attempted to reframe the narrative around his ouster by claiming the school did not “formally terminate” Kelly, suggesting former athletic director Scott Woodward did not have “the authority to terminate Coach Kelly and/or make settlement offers to him” in October, days before his own termination following pressure from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry.

Brian Kelly’s son, Kenzel, wears fathers initials on shirt, chants ‘Free BK, free my boy’ on LSU senior day

Tensions have remained high between Brian Kelly and LSU since his firing from the school earlier this season. And there was a moment during Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky that might have ratcheted things up another notch.

The broadcast showed a scene of Kenzel Kelly, Brian Kelly’s son and a current LSU player, running onto the field during the team’s senior day festivities. Sporting his No. 50, Kenzel had a huge grin on his face.

As he ran past several fans, high-fiving his way down a line, Kelly began to tug on his undershirt. As he stretched it out and partially lifted his jersey, Kenzel revealed the letters “BK.”

Of course, as viewers of the game pointed out, what happened next was sort of LSU’s 2025 season in a nut shell. Because right after the clip of Kenzel Kelly played, LSU would cough up the football. Western Kentucky scooped it and scored to turn the final few moments of the game into a much more intense affair, with LSU protecting a 13-10 lead.

“Go Tigers! Long live BK,” Kelly said into the camera on the sidelines. “Free my boy. Free my boy, BK. You know who.”

— On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.