Khaled Holmes , younger brother of former USC tight end Alex Holmes, has added Washington to his list of offers which include Nebraska, USC, Mississippi, Arizona, Stanford, Notre Dame and Oregon State. With the Trojans a firm number one, the stand-out offensive lineman from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana (Calif.), says that Stanford and Notre Dame are both tied for second place right now.
“USC is definitely still my top pick,” said Holmes, who reports a 3.5 core GPA and will take a first-time SAT in May. “I got the offer about a month ago when my parents and I went to their junior day.
“I sort of knew it was coming because I’d talked to Coach (Brennan) Carroll that week and he told me. At junior day, we met with Coach (Pete) Carroll in his office and he sat down and signed the offer right in front of me and handed it over. Everyone was really excited, especially my brother. He’s really pushing for me to go to USC.
“SC is just a great program, all-around,” said the 6-foot-5, 290 pounder. “It’s all about the level of competition there. They really push you to become the best player possible. No position is ever secure—it’s a fight every week to play. Nothing’s a guarantee on that team. It’s a completely different level of football.
“Coach Carroll said they see me at guard, on the quick side,” Holmes said. “With my brother there, I learned a lot about their offensive style. I like their zone-blocking scheme. They are losing a few guys this year and have four guys that they signed coming in, so I know what I’m up against, but when it comes to USC, you really don’t think about depth in the same way as you would other schools.”
Holmes, who doesn’t plan on committing anytime soon, says he is looking for a school that has a good balance between athletics and education. “That’s the most important thing for me. I don’t really care about the distance or the conference. Getting the best education possible is a big thing for me.
“I also like Stanford and Notre Dame a lot,” he said. “They are both right behind USC right now. I got my offer from Stanford sometime in February. I mean, what can you say about Stanford? It’s Stanford — cream of the crop for academics.
“I can probably go and play early there, which is good. They just got a new coach, Jim Harbaugh. I think he’s going to do a lot with that program…take it to the next level. They are a respected program who still gets national attention, so it’s like the best of both worlds.
“Stanford’s campus is so beautiful,” he said. “Coach (Tim) Drevno (tight ends) and I talk about once a week and he seems to be a really cool guy. He said they want me to come up for an unofficial (visit) in the next couple of months. I’m not sure when I’ll be going, but I know I’ll be taking an official there for sure.
“I’m planning on taking an official to Notre Dame too,” said Holmes. “I haven’t been there yet, but it just looks like a good place to be. I think it’s more balanced in that their academics are definitely at a higher standard and you can play great football.
“Just getting an offer from Notre Dame is pretty special. They have such an explosive offense and Coach (Charlie) Weis, well, is an offensive guru. I’ve talked with Coach (Brian) Polian (special teams) a lot. He said that I’d be a perfect fit at Notre Dame. And coming from Mater Dei, it would be a great transition for me. I definitely want to go out to see what they have to offer before I make any decisions.”
Michigan is another school Holmes has family ties to. “My dad went to Michigan so I’m a little surprised that I haven’t heard that much from them. I’d definitely consider them if they offered, but I’m not too upset about it all. It’s a great honor to have all the offers I do…every one of them. Every time someone tells me that they will pay for my education so I can play football, I truly feel blessed, no matter who it is. It’s a huge gesture, period."
Holmes is currently recovering from a stress fracture in his foot. “I didn’t play much last season because of my foot. I’m just starting to get back into the gym. I need to work on my strength. I haven’t been able to do squats or any conditioning for a while, so that’s my focus.
“I think my strength is my athleticism and my size,” said Holmes, who claims to bench press just over 300 pounds. “I can make a lot of the blocks other guys can’t. I’m really good in the open field with my pass protection. I also have good instincts. I’m really good at reading defenders and knowing what they’re going to do.”