Elijah Holyfield’s 5’11, 205-pound frame helps him stand out among high school running back prospects, but there is one other thing that makes the Atlanta prospect unique -- he’s the son of legendary heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield.
Evander Holyfield’s son, a top college football recruit, talks SEC and Notre Dame
Holyfield’s son looks to forge his own path -- will that be in the SEC or with the Irish?
Student Sports Photos
The four-star Woodward Academy (Ga.) prospect is rated the No. 11 running back in the country by the 247Sports Composite, and has been hearing from regional and national powers. SB Nation caught up with the prospect at the Nike Opening Regional in Atlanta to talk about his recruitment.
SEC and Irish standing out?
Recent trips to Florida and Notre Dame appear to have made an impact on Holyfield, who called both “a good time.” He said South Bend was “a pretty great place just to go to school,” and also saw clear opportunities for early playing time among two of his suitors.
“I would say Notre Dame and Tennessee, because they’re so short on running backs right now,” he said. “So I think that would be the maybe fastest places for me to play, but I feel like I’m the best at what I do so wherever I play I’m trying to start, so that’s not really a factor for me.”
Visit schedule
Holyfield plans to narrow his list after the spring, making his decision “either before or right after” his senior season, and also recently took visits to Auburn, Tennessee and South Carolina. The recruit highlighted his relationship with Tennessee running backs coach Robert Gillespie, calling him “one of my favorite coaches that recruits me,” and said “I think they’re going to be pretty good soon.”
As for Auburn, Holyfield talked about the program’s atmosphere and track record.
“I would say the most is the family feel with the coaches,” he said. “And the system and the history of running backs they’ve put out recently.”
