From The Road: Thoughts, notes on On300 Michigan EDGE commit Julius Holly

The Wolverine attended On300 Alpharetta (Ga.) High EDGE and Michigan commit Julius Holly‘s season opener at Mercedes Benz Stadium for the Corky Kell & Dave Hunter Classic on Saturday.

At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Holly is listed as the No. 228 overall prospect and the No. 21 EDGE in the country, according to On3. He’s also the No. 28 player in Georgia.

What Happened

Holly split time as the strong-side and weak-side EDGE in Saturday’s 57-10 loss to juggernaut Houston County. He was always in a two-point stance and was either the five or seven-technique. Although Holly was tasked with creating pressure to disrupt the passing game, his primary highlights came against the run. He finished with six total tackles, including two solo, and a quarterback hurry. Holly would have had a more extensive stat line if the opposing team hadn’t run opposite him, used the RPO, or thrown quick three-step passes. Alpharetta’s defense was also often pined back on their side of the field, and the speed of Houston County’s skilled players, led by four-star Memphis quarterback commit Antwann Hill, outmatched Alpharetta’s secondary. Still, there were quality takeaways from Holly’s outing

What Went Well

The first tackle of the game was credited to Holly, who shows comfort in getting off the line with momentum leaning on his left or right leg. Immediately off the cuff, his frame was impressive. Putting on 25 pounds of healthy weight, Holly stood out amongst the rest, carrying muscle mass in the torso, traps, and the lower half. He’ll undoubtedly be a player who Michigan strength and conditioning coach Justin Tress molds further. The growth has generated greater power. There were multiple observations of him engaging with an offensive tackle properly, creating separation at the point of attack by extending his arms and a quick first punch, as well as shedding the lineman to free himself. He gets pad-level and doesn’t rely on a bull rush, either. I also liked the way Holly held contain through his lateral movement and didn’t let himself get sucked into a fake handoff. The one tackle that stood out the most was near the goal line, where an inside run to the running back was stopped short because Holly wrapped him up and stopped the forward motion. Ultimately, I agree with The Wolverine‘s EJ Holland‘s assessment in Holly’s potential to become a multi-year starter.

Areas of Improvement

Holly didn’t miss assignments or was in the wrong spot, which could have led to scores, but there are things I would have liked to have seen, for instance, generating a constant pass rush, even while he was up against a hurry-up, short-burst offense. When he did have an opening after throwing back a blocker, like on the quarterback hurry, it led to an incompletion. Facing that tempo for four quarters is tough, but Holly has the speed to garner a constant presence in the backfield, as seen from his 4.71 40-yard dash. However, the speed does lead to keeping containment, as previously mentioned, and making plays when it bounces to the other side of the field. Another thing is continuing to progress with technique. Holly showed various moves in the game, like the swim, rip, and hand fighting, but perfecting that area will be part of his development.

Holly’s arms were measured at 33.5 inches at an Under Armour Camp earlier this offseason. When combined with the 25-pound gain, it remains to be seen how much more growth he has left. But with the current physique not affecting his speed and athleticism, perhaps he could stay at 230 once on the Michigan roster.

Commitment Status

The Wolverine reported Saturday that Holly will officially visit Michigan the weekend of the Texas game. It was previously thought that Holly’s first visit, which occurred in early June, was an official. Instead, the four-star looks forward to earning another quality experience on campus in a few weeks. Recently, Holly returned for the annual BBQ at The Big House.

Holly chose the Wolverines over Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and others. His relationship with defensive line coach Lou Esposito didn’t start when the latter was hired by head coach Sherrone Moore in March. In fact, Esposito recruited Holly when he was on the Memphis staff, and their communication picked back up when the assistant moved to Ann Arbor. The two also share roots in New Jersey.

Holly’s mother and father expressed Saturday their complete admiration for the staff, educational piece, the opportunities Holly can pursue through NIL under the guidance of general manager Sean Magee, and obviously, the EDGE development Michigan has had success with in recent years.

Michigan currently has an offer on the table for Holly’s younger brother, 2027 EDGE Jaxon Holly, who’s also been to campus twice and will be at the Texas game. I have an On3 Prediction entered for U-M to land Holly because of the family connection and his strong interest in the program early on. Julius and Jaxon have talked about staying teammates at the next level.

What Holly Said

“It’s been great. I got the support of Michigan behind me. I talk to them all the time. It’s just a good time to be out there with them and have that support system behind them, especially in a time like this. Just the way they do things. Their combination of academics and sports. I mean, the way their people come together and just the way they act whenever I go up there, it’s just a different feel. I just feel comfortable.”

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