It became clear months ago, as Thomas Holley piled up scholarship offers, that the defensive tackle’s decision to focus on football rather than basketball was a wise one.
On Tuesday morning, the Lincoln High School senior came to a decision — which he hopes is as smart as his choice of sports.
Holley verbally committed to Penn State and head coach Bill O’Brien, picking the Lions over Florida, his other finalist, to become the first city product to head to State College since the Jerry Sandusky molestation scandal came to light late in 2011.
“It feels like a burden was lifted,” Holley said in a telephone interview. “There wasn’t really one thing. It was the way I felt about [Penn State], the school itself, the atmosphere. The history is great. So is Florida. I felt Penn State was a better fit for me, as who I am.”
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound standout, who led Lincoln to its second PSAL title in three years last week at Yankee Stadium, took official visits to the two schools, but said location played a significant role in his decision.
Defensive line coach Larry Johnson, Holley’s lead recruiter, also was a major factor in the decision. The two developed a close bond, talking as much about life as football. When Holley made his decision Tuesday morning, he called Johnson first.
“He almost crashed his car when I told him the news, he was so happy,” Holley said, laughing. “He was ecstatic.”
When Holley took his official visit to State College, he met with senior DaQuan Jones, the team MVP who is considered one of the top defensive tackles in the country.
“He said Coach Johnson said the same things to him he was saying to me, as far as accolades and where he could get him to,” Holley said.
Jones is projected to be selected in this year’s NFL draft, possibly as high as the first round, and was a third team All-Big 10 preseason selection in the fall. Holley said Jones has credited Johnson for his accomplishments.
“I think he can do that for me,” Holley said of Johnson. “I have an opportunity to make a difference. With Coach Johnson being my defensive coach, I think I can accomplish a lot.”
Holley, ranked third at his position and 63rd overall by Rivals.com, is new to the sport, just picking it up last year. He took to the gridiron quickly, impressing college coaches last year so much with his eight-game film he landed scholarship offers from some of the best program in the country, including Ohio State, Alabama and Notre Dame. He got even better this year, notching 67 tackles and seven sacks.
Scout.com Northeast recruiting analyst Brian Dohn said Holley is a project because of his inexperience. He doesn’t have any go-to moves and has to learn to play lower in the trenches.
“He’s raw, he’s got to develop his technique, he’s only been playing for a couple of seasons, but he shows flashes with his size and his strength and agility he can be a really good player down the road,” Dohn said. “We have him rated as a four-star — the reason he’s rated a four-star is because of his potential and where he should be in a couple of years.”