Isaac Holmes, the 6-foot-3, 290 pound three-star defensive tackle/offensive lineman from Hoboken, N.J., says that two stand out from among 10 scholarship offers.
"I like Rutgers and Maryland the most," Holmes said. Both the Scarlet Knights and the Terps have offered as well as East Carolina, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Florida.
"Rutgers was the first school to offer me (January) and they are only about an hour and fifteen minutes away," he said. "But my parents are planning to move to North Carolina anyway, so it's not like if I went to Rutgers I'd be staying close to home or anything."
He says he has attended the Scarlet Knight Junior Day and their spring game already and says they are recruiting him the hardest. "They really made a big turnaround and they still have a young team," he said. "It's too bad Ray Rice is gone, but they can do some great things next season."
Holmes also attended the junior day at Maryland and will be attending the Terps' spring game on Saturday, April 12. "I have some family out in Maryland and my cousin is (offensive tackle) Bearthur Johnson," he said.
"I love the vibe at Maryland and the coaches really show you lots of love," he said. "They seem very interested in me and I like how down-to-earth they are. Also, the campus is really nice and I like how everything is within walking distance and that the campus isn't too big."
Holmes comes from an athletic family as another cousin, Duval Kamara, is a sophomore wide receiver for Notre Dame. "We talk a bit," he said. "He just tells me to enjoy it and go on all my visits and stuff. He thinks that I should take my time and not rush into anything. But I know he wants me to go to Notre Dame. He says he'd love to have another buddy up there."
Despite having a cousin at Notre Dame, Holmes says it's the Irish academic reputation that interests him. "I'm all about academics," he said. "And Notre Dame has one of the great alumni support programs in the country. They are very respected."
Holmes is also optimistic that the Irish will be able to improve upon their disappointing 2007 campaign. "Coach Charlie Weis will be able to pull something out and turn it around," Holmes said. "Plus they had a great recruiting class, so I can really see them making a big turnaround next season."
Holmes says he grew up watching the 'Canes as a kid. "It's the U," he said. "They've always had a great defense and I always thought that I could do well there and fit in.
"Just like Notre Dame, I think they'll do good this year," he said. "They also recruited well and they'll be back on the map soon."
Holmes also likes one of Miami's main in-state rivals, Florida. "It's a great school," he said of the Gators. "They are always making the big bowl games and they won the national championship a few years ago. The players there get great exposure and I could really make a name for myself."
The only camp that Holmes plans on attending this summer will be Maryland's.
"I see myself going through the whole process," he said. "I'm not rushing into anything. I want to play for a great coach that I get along with and that I can talk to about anything."
Holmes finished his junior season with 83 total tackles, 11 sacks and four fumbles caused. He says he can bench 315 pounds and squats 505.
"I’m explosive and can run the forty in 5.0 seconds flat," he said. "My first three steps are very quick and I'm just quick in the backfield overall. I'm really strong too. I'm a defensive lineman.
"I look up to a lot of players, but I've got my own Isaac Holmes-style," he said. "I just play hard and give it all I got."
Holmes also says he has a 29-inch vertical jump. "I'm still working on finishing my plays and not stopping too soon," he admitted. "I want to go 100 percent and not slow down at all. I'm conditioning real hard now and just trying to get ready for the season."
He reports a 3.2 core GPA and is taking the SAT on May 3.