Youth As a youth, Kelp played for the academy of
Bundesliga club
1. FC Köln. In 2019, he moved to
FC Hennef 05. The following year, he joined the academy of
SC Fortuna Köln. He would go on to compete in the
Under 19 Bundesliga with the club.
College Beginning in 2022, Kelp moved to the
United States to play
NCAA college soccer for the
Retrievers of the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Over the next three seasons, he appeared in fifty-one matches, tallying four goals and two assists. During his time with the Retrievers, Kelp won numerous individual honors including being named team captain in 2024. For his senior season, he transferred to the
University of Maryland, College Park to play for the
Maryland Terrapins. Following his one season with the team, Kelp was named the
Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a
Hermann Trophy finalist as one of the top fifteen college players in the country.
Professional Kelp joined
Utah United of the
USL League Two for the
2024 season, the club's inaugural campaign. He scored the game-winner in a league match again
Salt City SC on 31 May. In total, he made six appearances for the club that season, scoring one goal en route to being named to the USL League Two Best XI among individuals playing in the
NCAA soccer tournament. Following graduation from the University of Maryland, Kelp was selected by
D.C. United with the 85th overall pick in the
2026 MLS SuperDraft in December 2025. However, he was ultimately not signed by the club. In February 2026, Kelp signed a one-year contract with the reigning
USL Championship title holders, the
Pittsburgh Riverhounds, with a club option for an additional year. He made his professional debut for the club as a starter on 25 March 2026 in a
2026 U.S. Open Cup Second Round win over
Virginia Dream FC. Kelp's debut was delayed to that point as he waited for approval of his
P-1 Visa. ==References==