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The culmination of the recruiting season is here, as National Signing Day 2017 is finally upon it. Here at Black Shoe Diaries, we’ll have coverage throughout the day of Penn State’s recruiting class, taking a player-by-player look at each member of the class, and taking a bigger picture look at the class as a whole. Thanks for stopping by, and if you aren’t already following, please follow @BSDTweet on Twitter for more recruiting news and notes.
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The fourth and final offensive lineman in the class, Desmond Holmes chose Penn State over Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse, and Temple. With Mike Miranda, C.J. Thorpe, and Robert Martin all looking like guards, the 6-foot-5, 325-pound should settle in at left or right tackle once he gets on campus.
.@des_holmes4, blue and white are definitely your colors. Welcome to the pride. #WeAre pic.twitter.com/iBEHcScHCH
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) February 1, 2017
Vitals
| Position | High School | Height/Weight | 247Composite Rank | Positional Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | High School | Height/Weight | 247Composite Rank | Positional Rank |
| Offensive tackle | Springfield, PA (Cardinal O'Hara) | 6-foot-5, 325 pounds | Three-star (0.8488) | No. 858 overall, No. 81 offensive tackle, No. 13 player in PA |
Highlights
Scouting Report
Holmes is a big kid. He’s a legitimate 6-foot-5 — pushing 6-foot-6 — and 325 pounds, so size won’t be a concern for him. He made good strides between his junior and senior seasons, and that shows up on film. Right now, Holmes is at his best in the run game, especially when pulling and getting to the second level. Despite having maybe a bit of extra weight, he’s pretty nimble on his feet, so it’s easy to see why James Franklin envisions him as a bookend in Happy Valley.
He plays a little bit too high at times, something that he’s able to get away with at the high school level because he probably has 100 pounds on every player he’s lining up against. Also, the majority of his film is him run blocking, so it’s tough to gauge just how could he is in pass protection.
Outlook
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Penn State has recruited very strongly along the offensive line, so fortunately, just about every offensive lineman will take a redshirt. Holmes is no different. During his first year, he’ll hopefully lose some of that extra weight and then build it back up. Will need a year or two to become accustomed to the college game, but the size and athleticism are there.