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I believe there's a hashtag for things like this. #DoWorkBOB
Thomas Holley, ladies and gentlemen!
Stats:
Home/HS: Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 285 lbs
Recruited by: John Strollo & Larry Johnson
Starz 'n Sheetz:
Stars: 5* 247, 4* Rivals, Scout, ESPN
Offer Sheet: Alabama, Baylor, Boston College, Clemson, UConn, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, UMass, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee
Cinema:
See more highlights from Hudl here.
The Tale: Holley's commitment, while not necessarily surprising at this point, is a huge one for this Nittany Lion program.
Holley is one of the most sought after recruits in the country, and boasts massive potential. His recruitment has been an interesting process to watch play out. It initially seemed as if it was going to come down to Notre Dame and Ohio State. Then Alabama became a major player when Holley took his trips down south. The one constant that remained as Holley's supposed leader continued to change, was that Penn State was always staying on his mind. Ohio State was still seen as the leader for quite some time, until Holley decided that he was going to narrow his focus down to a final 2 of Penn State and Florida. While Florida has a pretty good history of getting defensive linemen to the NFL, their abysmal 2013 season could not have helped their chances. That left Penn State.
Larry Johnson was consistently named by Holley as a major factor in his interest in the Lions. Antoine White also told me how he was very much in Holley's ear trying to help lead him to his decision. This is the power of getting recruits on board early, as guys like Antoine can end up being our best recruiting tools.
Outlook: Thomas has a chance to make an immediate impact for Penn State. There's a reason BOB is hitting the defensive line hard. It doesn't seem as if the staff has that signature defensive lineman that holds the defense together for 2014 just yet. Yes, the staff has already picked up Tarow Barney and Antoine White, but Holley is the one who comes in with the most hype and the most pro potential. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him come in and take valuable snaps as a true freshman.
I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but I have no difficulties envisioning Holley as one of the impact defensive players of the Big Ten a few years from now. He could be one to remember for a long, long time.
Holley becomes the 3rd defensive tackle commit for the class, and the 17th overall commit.
Welcome to Penn State, Thomas!
