Despite not picking up football until well into his high school career, defensive tackle Thomas Holley quickly emerged as a top player in the 2014 class. The consensus four-star recruit from Brooklyn (N.Y.) Abraham Lincoln High holds scholarship offers from Penn State, Florida, Ohio State, Alabama, Baylor, Florida State, Notre Dame, Miami, Clemson and numerous others.
Thomas Holley recruit scouting report: Elite defensive tackle
Tom Hauck (Student Sports Photos)
Holley, who finished his senior season with seven sacks, is 6’4 and weighs 285 pounds. His play earned him an invitation to the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game.
He is considered the third-best player at his position and the No. 63 overall prospect in the country by Rivals, and ESPN rates him similarly, placing him seventh and 87th, respectively. Like those two services, Scout also considers him a four-star recruit, though it ranks him 22nd among DTs. His highest marks come from 247 Sports, which regards him as a five-star player and a top-25 overall prospect.
You can follow Holley on Twitter here.
Bud Elliott, National Recruiting Analyst: Holley is one of the best recruits in the country. He has the frame to eventually play at a lean 300 pounds. Like most elite players, Holley has a unique combination of size and athleticism not found in most humans. He’s also young for his grade level, and had very little football playing experience.
Holley has excellent quickness off the football at the snap. Because of that, he profiles as more of a one-gap tackle than an interior two-gapper. Sometimes, Holley will completely beat his blocker clean. But other times, he’ll be blocked when he shouldn’t because of his inexperience. He just doesn’t know how to get off blocks using his hands at this point. Luckily, that is something that can improve. I like Holley’s ability to get down the line in pursuit, he shows good effort and determination.
Holley’s quicks also help him in the pass rush.
