Isaac Holmes, the 6-foot-3, 290 pound three-star defensive tackle/offensive guard from Hoboken, N.J., now has 29 scholarship offers and has added No. 5 Florida to his top three.
Although he still denies a leader, Holmes said he now favors Maryland, Florida and No. 17 Pittsburgh solidly over No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Oklahoma.
"Maryland, Pittsburgh and Florida get in touch with me the most," Holmes said. "They are the ones that seem to be trying to get to know me the most. They always ask about me and my family and it isn't just about football with them."
The only official visit Holmes has already taken was to Florida on Sept. 5 for the Miami game. "It was a remarkable visit," he said. "I loved seeing everyone that I normally watch on TV in person like Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. They really showed me a good time and all the players just seemed very cool.
"It's remarkable to me that a team like that is actually showing me so much love," he said.
Although it wasn't an official visit, Holmes did attend the Penn State/Michigan game on Oct. 18. "It was a crazy experience," he said. "I love how they won the game. It was close in the first half and I love how the defense stepped up and they put it together in the second half.
"At this rate I see Penn State going to the national championship," he said. "They've got a great shot at it."
Holmes, ranked as the No. 27 offensive guard in the country by Scout.com, admits that the Nittany Lions have greatly impressed him this season. "It's not just about how well they are doing," he said. "It's great to see them overcome some of the issues they've had off the field and come out and really succeed."
Despite the Nittany Lions on-field success, they are still behind their in-state rival Pittsburgh in Holmes' mind. "Pittsburgh is having a great year," Holmes said. "They are putting it together and I like how the defense is getting after it.
"I think that Pittsburgh is still up-and-coming and will have a great team," he said. "Plus, I could probably play early there."
Another team that Holmes said he believes he could play quickly at is Maryland. "They are really getting it together now," he said. "They are playing great and improving every week. They've beat a couple top 25 teams already and it's only getting better."
Although Oklahoma isn't in his top three, he admits that he's likely going to visit the Sooners anyway. "I really want to go there and see what it's like," Holmes said. "I love their defense and how they always have a great d-line. They help get their defensive players to the next level and prepare you for the future.
"My coaches really like Oklahoma and I'll probably take a visit there with (teammate) Bernard Nunez," he said. "I know he really likes Oklahoma and plans to visit them for sure."
Holmes says that local favorite Rutgers is no longer recruiting him. "They aren't really keeping in touch," he said. "They've already got a lot of recruits in."
He says he plans to take at least three visits before making a decision. "I want to get acquainted with the program a bit more and get a feel for the coaches and players," he said. "I just want to see if I can see myself playing there for four years."
Holmes has 45 tackles and four sacks in six games (4-2).
Holmes says he wants to major in criminal justice and reports a 3.2 core GPA and an 1140 SAT.