Thomas Holley has just one year of varsity football under his belt, but the Brooklyn native is already being tabbed the next big thing coming out of NYC. The class of 2014 DT played just 8 games in his first season for Coach Shawn O’Connor’s Lincoln Railsplitters, but the 6’5” 290 lb. pass rusher is already attracting national attention. Over the last week alone, Holley has been offered by Syracuse, Miami, Florida State and Boston College. He also received his latest offer from Rutgers yesterday after an unofficial visit to campus. The junior never imagined top BCS programs would be after him this quickly.
“To be honest, I never expected it to happen as soon as it did. I saw my highlight film, it looked pretty good, and coach said, ‘You’re a real good player and once we get your football IQ up and you’re technique going, you’ll be one hell of a player.’ It is a little bit overwhelming to be [getting offers] so early.”
Over the last few years, SU has not been able to land the big fish from New York City: Ebenezer Ogundeko this year, Jarron Jones in 2012, Ishaq Williams in 2011, and Dominique Easily in 2010. But Holley already had a tremendous talk with Scott Shafer and D-Line Coach Time Daoust last week.
‚ÄúIt was amazing. They definitely showed a lot of interest, and it was more than just coming to recruit, it was more of just getting to know me as a person. That felt good.”
Holley’s story is a very interesting one. He transferred from Christ the King in Brooklyn before the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Holley was a basketball star for the Royals, and was always very close with Lincoln Head Basketball Coach Tre Morton. Holley wanted to get back into the public school and decided to transfer.
“I was familiar with their basketball program already and it was a good fit for me. Also, I knew I was going to play football, and I knew Lincoln had a good football program.”
Once Shawn O’Connor spotted the 6’5” wrecking machine he convinced him to play football in the spring. He clearly had the agility and athleticism after playing basketball since the third grade, and was a natural the minute he stepped out onto the football field. Wondering how big of an impact he made? Just ask O’Connor.
“His first ever play he scored a touchdown. He was terrific, so much potential.”
Holley recovered a fumble for a touchdown off a botched punt on his first snap. Not a bad way to start your career. In addition to the half dozen offers he’s received the Brooklyn native will be traveling to Penn State this weekend. 
Since football season ended, Holley has been playing on the same floor as current SU basketball target and Class of 2014 product Isaiah Whitehead. The two are very close and sometimes talk about playing for the Orange.
“We’ve talked about Syracuse a few times. For me and Isaiah, it was like we were re-united. We’ve played together, we’ve won many games with each other. We still communicated even though we were in different schools.”
Holley has been playing with Whitehead since the fifth grade. The pair was on the same AAU team all throughout middle school and part of high school. Their connection will be music to SU fans’ ears. Holley already has some ties to CNY. He’s close friends with QB Terrell Hunt - who also played at Christ the King Рand Holley has talked with commit Wayne Williams about representing NYC at Syracuse.
The DT has a motor that does not stop on the gridiron. His first season playing for Lincoln was extremely productive, and a learning experience, he admitted. But this summer he will be training as the college offers start to pile in. Holley has a tremendous attitude, and for someone with his size, gets off the line very quick. Syracuse’s class of 2013 finished up just a couple weeks ago, but the Orange already has its sights set on what could be the face of NYC in 2014.
Posted: Kevin Fitzgerald
24 responses to “Next Big Thing: DT Thomas Holley Quickly Nets Offers from SU, Miami, FSU”
so he’s good friends with Whitehead, Williams, Hunt…that’s a great start.
As long as he doesn’t deal with Mr. Williams!!
Terry,I agree someone please tell him to stay away from Williams.
This is one of the recruits that I posted about earlier. Syracuse is after some big time recruits for the class of 2014,lets hope that Coach Shafer and his staff can get some of these players to come here and play.
GO CUSE
Sounds about right to me Terry.
Actually there seems to be a lot of recruiting action happening. I am surprised we are not hearing more from the Fizz.
Ishaq Williams’ father is not the person to guide you thru this process. Ebenezer has said on his facebook that he is homesick, Good for you EO..
GO SU
Update: Florida offered Holley this morning as well.
Now to all of the fans who follow the amount of stars that is assigned to all of these recruits. Look at the schools that have offered Holley(early)a scholarship and realize that this kid is listed as “NR” and doesn’t have any stars posted after his name.
How can the people who do the rating of these players be so wrong?
@Malone; I don’t remember any early reporting during the 4 year’s of Coach Marrone on any of the recruit’s that they were going after. I think we had to wait until late in the season before we heard anything about the people they were recruiting. Now under Coach Shafer it seems things are different and we’re getting an early glimpse of who and what they are after.
For a guy like me it’s refreshing and I like following the other schools that offer a scholarship so that I can follow the schools that Syracuse has to battle in order to bring these recruits here.
Have you noticed lately that we haven’t heard anyone say that Syracuse doesn’t battle with other major schools for any of these recruits? Coach Shafer has been head coach for a month now and has taken one of the major complaints against the program and has thrown it in the dumpster where it has always belonged.
It looks like Coach Shafer is going heavy after RB’s for the 2014 class.
Syracuse just offered 6’1″ 190 lb RB/Athlete Justin Noye out of Rochester East High School NY a scholarship.
Schools that have offered are; Albany, Buffalo, Connecticut, Old Dominion, Rutgers, Syracuse.
Russell it looks like Syracuse and Rutgers are going after a lot of the same recruits for the class of 2014. Should make for some interesting moments this year.
I just can not get excited about NYC recruits anymore. The big ones don’t want to come to SU so why do we waste the time. We are better of with Coach McDonald hitting florida hard
He’s too small to play DE or DT, he should be a cornerback. I am an expert.
Ron,
Not many recruits have a star rating yet because they just haven’t been evaluated. The scouts just finished up with the 2013 class, give them some time to check out the 2014 one. There are so many athletes that they can’t really be evaluating 2014 kids while the 2013 class was still playing. I’m sure in the next few months most kids will have a star rating.
NR stands for not rated Ron. The services just finished up the 2013 ratings, outside of the top 250 players or so in 2014, no one has been rated yet.
A big positive is that I think Williams also went to Lincoln. He is not just a NYC voice telling kids to stay in NY, he is from the same high school program. I would bet Mr. Swagg is an escort for this guy ifwe get a visit out of him. Sounds pretty positive really.
I mean Wayne Williams, not Shaun Williams (sorry, not sure how he spells it)
Kids number one attraction to college is education so I think He will either be in the ACC or B1G. He dosen’t have a favorite but with the info I get SU and RU will battle for this kid. If Notre Dame gets in with this kid, it could get really good. Kid will be a NY top recruit and after the combines and events he will be in, might end up a 4 star player.
The NE area of the USA has always been a hotbed for SUFB talent. Its just now other big Uni’s are grabbing up talent SU might of got. Conn and NJ were always places SU went for studs, but not now their state Uni’s are decent and talent now goes to their state schools. That’s why I harp on NYS talent. Rouse for an example. SU is interested in another local kid(WG). But they still didn’t mention Rouse last year at all. I hope it(Rouse) doesn’t bite US in the foot!!
@chad;
Thanks for the information that you’ve given me. Appreciated,thank you.
@cuse17;
Thanks for the help, but I already knew what NR means.
Mademan are you the Madman for the NYCFB website out of the city???
I like to talk recruiting with a rival. I like this site and I like reading other opinions and insight of my school and I just flat out a college football junkie bro
Terry,Mademan is an interesting RU fan who really enjoys eastern football and knows his stuff…I like him cause hes the type of guy I grew up with and gives interesting insight into NJ recruiting!!I’ll bet hes from the Essex-Bergen county area!I grew up in Nutley-Belleville area!Nicky Newark..
I’m from Somerville but played and attended Don Bosco for football and graduated from 2002. I know a lot of recruiting in New Jersey and I can tell you who is doing what.
Holley needs to come to TN & be a Vol & be close to the other Railsplitters. Lincoln Memorial University in TN. They don’t have football & probably wouldn’t make his list anyway.