I sat down to watch Julius Holly’s high school tape over the weekend and I liked what I saw. Despite standing at 6’3″, Holly plays much longer, his presence on the field commanding and impactful. His frame looks imposing, and he uses it to his advantage, making him a formidable edge rusher.
One of the first things that struck me was his discipline. In situations where he might find himself out of position, Holly shows an impressive ability to recover quickly. This demonstrates his understanding of the game, which, mixed with his athleticism could be a potent combo. His closing speed is also worth mentioning; I saw him chase down a few running backs from behind, an attribute that you don’t see from every edge rusher in high school. This speed allows him to make plays that many others simply couldn’t.
During his junior year, Holly rotated to the inside of the defensive line occasionally. Here, he showcased his strength in the trenches, holding his ground and making significant plays against the run. His versatility to play both inside and outside on the defensive line will be a tremendous asset to Michigan.
Off the field, Holly is just as impressive. With a 4.2 GPA, he’s taking on a challenging mix of AP and honors courses, which is to be expected from a young man choosing to take his talents to the school in Ann Arbor.
Over the weekend, Holly made it official by committing to Michigan, adding his name to a class that is rapidly climbing the recruiting rankings. As a fan and an observer, I’m looking forward to seeing how his skills will translate to the college level, but I’d like to see him fully step into his confidence in his senior year. He’s built like a guy that can control an entire game from the defensive side of the ball, but he wasn’t quite there yet in his junior year.
Overall, Holly is fantastic grab by Sherrone Moore and company, and will likely become a fantastic college football player.
Stay up to date on all Michigan Football and Michigan Basketball content! Follow Wolverine Chronicle on X, Youtube, Tik Tok, Facebook, and Instagram!
