Kiffin, ex-USC recruit connect years later
Receiver Holmes finally will play under Owls coach.
BOCA RATON — Desean Holmes’ college football journey was always going to include Lane Kiffin. The question, one Holmes has tried to answer for nearly five years, was where the two would be together.
Holmes, a San Diego State enrollee in 2015 who later starred at the junior college level, first received a scholarship from Kiffin and the USC Trojans as a sophomore in high school. After playing for three college teams in three years, Holmes is excited to finally play under Kiffin, who was fired by USC in Sept. 2013 and is entering his second year as Florida Atlantic coach.
“It still hasn’t hit me yet,” said Holmes, who signed with FAU in December. “I’m still like in shock that I’m coming down there from California. … I can’t believe I’m about to play for Lane Kiffin. He walked into my high school (to recruit me) and now he’s coming back again.”
While Holmes (5 feet 10, 180 pounds) did want to stick with USC, his feeling that the program “wasn’t Lane anymore” as the Trojans made three coaching
changes while he was still in high school led him to reconsider. He decommitted in hopes of finding another Power Five program that felt like home. A four-star recruit at the time, Holmes did manage to stay in his home state by signing with San Diego State at the last minute.
Holmes didn’t last long with the Aztecs, however, leaving the programa week into the school year in 2015 for what he called “personal reasons.”
“The young man has a lot of problems, way too many for us to handle,” SDSU coach Rocky Long told the San Diego Union-Tribune in September 2015. “Obviously, he wasn’t ready to be here.”
Those problems, by all accounts, seem to have been resolved. Holmes spent his 2016 season at Southern Utah and last season atCollege of the Canyons (Calif.), recording 52 catches for 912 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games last year. There were no reported issues at either school, and Holmes said he enjoyed getting to “ball out” last season.
With the departure of 2017 starters Kalib Woods and Kamrin Solomon, Holmes has a chance to earn a starting spot with sophomore Willie Wright and former West Virginia receiver Jovon Durante. Former Texas Longhorn DeAndre McNeal is currently in the starting rotation as well after a dominant spring camp.
The biggest challenge for Holmes, other than the transition to Division I from the JUCO level, could be the receiver depth for the Owls. FAU signed Copiah-Lincoln C.C. (Miss.) wide receiver Nero Nelson in December and saw a strong spring camp from walk-on and former Dwyer star Dante Cousart. Tavaris ‘Pico’ Harrison missed most of the spring with an undisclosed injury, though he’ll likely be com- peting for snaps, too.
Holmes arrived at FAU this week and will be with the team when camp starts in July.
While Holmes doesn’t have the quarterbacking exper ience former FAU receiver John Franklin III did, he may also be a fit for a Wildcat role with his speed and playmaking ability. Holmes has experience returning kicks and could potentially be an option there.
Years after Kiffin first offered him a scholarship to join a historic tradition of receivers at USC, Holmes — more mature and more devoted, he says, and now a father — has the chance to make his own legacy at FAU.
“As you’re coming into your own, learning to be the guy is important ,” Holmes said. “I’m excited to be here. This isan opportunity I’m so thankful for.”