Josh Kelley was born in Inglewood, Califronia but would grow up just north of Los Angeels in the town of Lancaster. He played his prep football at Eastside High School where he rushed for 1,903 yards and 22 touchdowns across his final two seasons. As a senior, he was named a First-Team All-Golden League pick and the conference’s running back of the year.
Kelley graduated Eastside as the No. 232 running back in his class and a two-star recruit. He chose to stay close to home by committing to play for the University of California, Davis at the FCS level.