kemp graduated from centennial high school in franklin, tennessee. he attended vanderbilt university, where he played college baseball for the vanderbilt commodores baseball team. in 2011, kemp was named the southeastern conference's (sec) freshman of the year and first team all-sec. he was a key contributor on the first vanderbilt baseball team to make it to the college world series. in 2012, he played collegiate summer baseball with the cotuit kettleers of the cape cod baseball league. he was named an all-american and the sec baseball player of the year in 2013.