WR Holmes could address need for Canes
Broward native plans to play for new team as graduate student.
The Hurricanes have major que s t i o n s e n t e r i n g 2 017 regarding their wide receiver depth.
Could Corey Holmes be part of the answer?
Holmes i s t ransferring from Notre Dame, according to reports, and plans to play elsewhere as a graduate student.
A Pembroke Pines native who played at Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas, Holmes redshirted as a sophomore in 2015. He will graduate next semester, meaning he would enroll at a new school in the summer.
Which would be around the time Miami will be looking for replacements for Stacy Coley and Malcolm Lewis, both of whom are g r a du at i ng . C oach Mark Richt has been blunt about his recruiting wish list.
“We need great receivers,” Richt said. “We need guys that have the skill set that we need to get off the jam and catch the ball in traffic, and hopefully enough topend speed to scare people to back off you on certain routes. We got to have enough speed on the edges, for sure. That’s a big need. We have some guys that are pretty good possession-type guys. But we need more guys who can really run.”
T h a t d e s c r i p t i o n f i t s Holmes, who is listed at 6 feet, one-half inch and 190 pounds by Notre Dame.
He was reportedly the fastest Irish player last spring, r u n n i n g a 4 . 3 9 - s e c o n d 40-yard dash. At the time, coach Brian Kelly called his testing numbers — which also included a 41-inch vertical leap — “freakish,” according to 247Sports.
“There’s track speed, and there’s in-line straight-line speed, and then there’s, quite frankly, football speed,” Kelly said. “I think that that’s been the struggle with Corey in the first couple years, is to get that to translate and through playing fast and playing with confidence, and I think he’s gaining that. He’s gaining the confidence, and we’re seeing definitely a different football player.”
But not enough to crack the rotation in the fall, which is why Holmes’ father, David, told Canesport he is seeking a new opportunity.
Since Holmes will graduate, he will be eligible to play immediately. He will have two years of eligibility remaining. According to his father, Holmes, who had 11 catches for 96 yards thi s season, has great interest in Miami because of the Hurricanes’ need, the Richt-led coaching staff and the proximity to home.
The big question: How interested is Miami?
After striking out on fivestar Deerfield Beach High standout Jerry Jeudy, who reaffirmed his commitment to Alabama, the Hurricanes are still after Louisiana-based Devonta Smith, West Virginia commit Mike Harley and several others.
Richt said this week that i n a d d i t i o n t o b l u e - c hi p recruits, junior college and transfer receivers are on his radar — especially if they have speed.
Mi a mi ’s o n l y r e c e i v e r commit is Evidence Njoku, David’s brother and a 6-4, 195-pound standout in New Jersey. In addition to losing Coley and Lewis, Miami dismissed freshman Sam Bruce, its top-rated 2016 signee, in October for repeated team rules violations.
Holmes, who was rated as high as 94th nationally by ESPN as a 2014 recruit, could join freshman All-American Ahmmon Richards and a returning cast that includes Br a xt on B e r r i os , a nowhealthy L awrence Cager, Dayall Harris, Darrell Langham and Dionte Mullins. “I love that play,” Holt said. Before the half ended, WKU tried to sneak a score past Memphis, lining up as if it planned to take a knee. Instead, Anthony Wales ran out of the formation, and the senior running back made it 53 yards. White threw for the end zone on the next play, but Memphis cornerback Dontrell Nelson inter- cepted the pass.
Li ke t hey have a l l s eason, the Hilltoppers combined a potent run game with a strong passing attack. White finished with 336 passing yards and three touchdowns, and Wales racked up 245 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Memphis’ offense had a solid performance for most teams. The Tigers gained 491 yards but could not keep up with the Hilltoppers.
Quarterback Ferguson, who transferred to Memphis before the season and replaced star Paxton Lynch, topped Lynch’s school record of 29 touchdowns. Ferguson threw for four touchdowns Tuesday night, completing 25 of 43 passes for 372 yards. Three of those touchdown passes were to Anthony Miller, who made 11 catches for 151 yards.
Holt got the victory in his only game as WKU head coach. The defensive coordinator will be replaced by incoming head coach Mike Sanford after the Hilltoppers return home to Bowling Green.
“He was in a tough situation, came in and he wanted to be the head coach,” White s a i d . “Un f o r t u n a t e l y, i t didn’t end up that way. But he didn’t change a beat. He came in as passionate as ever, fired us up, rallied around us and went out there and he won the game.”