Player Evaluation: Caziah Holmes

If you thought Penn State had a crowded backfield before, things are about to get a bit more cramped. Four-star running back Caziah Holmes brings an intriguing blend of size, speed and natural gifts to the position. Running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider has seemingly found yet another gem from Florida that could help take Penn State’s ground game to another level in the future.

Important Note: Scouting notes are based on highlight videos produced by commit. They should not be seen as a complete picture of the strengths and weaknesses of a prospect. The majority of the evaluation is based off of physical tools and what positional fundamentals that can be gleaned from select plays. As these young men are still in the early stages of their development, projections are based on potential and development.

Feel for the Position: When you say someone has a "feel" for the game, it typically means you know he’s good but not why. Holmes has a great "feel" for the game. Specifically, he has great vision and sets up his blocks incredibly well. There are a lot of important, hard to teach, mental aspects of being a running back that seem to come very naturally to Holmes. He knows when to slow down and let his blockers get to their assignments, but also when to hit the accelerator to get through traffic. He's also great at changing the angle of pursuit without losing speed. Holmes makes subtle moves at high-speed to make a defender miss and is very creative with his moves when he’s in space. He seems to be decisive as a runner and doesn’t show the tendency to bounce the ball towards the boundary unnecessarily, which won’t be as easy to do on a regular basis at the next level. Holmes also shows the maturity to know when to be elusive and when to switch playing styles, finishing runs with authority.

Contact Balance: Holmes towers over most of the competition at the high school level on film. It’s easier for a bigger, stronger player to break tackles, but he still shows a natural ability to keep his balance and momentum through contact. He does this by setting up defenders well and not letting them get a clean shot at his body, which is impressive given his 6-foot frame. This will be harder to do at the next level, but it’s a skill that should transition very well for him.

Efficiency of Movement: Holmes does not dance or take excessive steps in order to get around an opponent because all of his moves and cuts are done with forward momentum. He has very quick feet and loose hips that allow him to elude tacklers in tight spaces without having to chop his feet and waste motion in the hole. Once he gets into the open field, he uses this, combined with the traits listed above, to break off huge runs and make multiple defenders miss.

Speed: Holmes has very good speed already and reportedly runs a 4.49-second 40-yard dash as a senior in high school. That is more than enough speed for any level of football that ascends to in his career. Yet, speed is something you can never have enough of. Holmes only becomes more effective and will be more efficient the faster he gets. This is certainly as he matures physically in his collegiate career. With added muscle and speed training, it’s exciting to think of where his upper limits could be.

Physique/Strength: The running back position is probably the most reliant on pure physical ability compared to any other position on the field. It's also a punishing one, and added strength will allow him to use his well-developed positional skills to their highest effect at the college level. At right around 6-foot, Holmes could easily add 10-15 pounds of muscle throughout his collegiate career and become a truly complete back. H'e's already well on his way with his current size and thickness for his frame.

Passing Game: The main area of development that keeps young running backs off the field early in their career is pass protection. Aside from that, running backs now have to be threats as receivers in order to be a fully complete back who can threaten you in every situation. Holmes has experience lined up in the slot from high school but still needs to work on his routes and applying his skills to the craft. Pass protection will be critical as well.

Special Signing Day Offer: Get 25% Off Your Subscription & $75 to Nike.com

There really is no such position as "lead back" in the modern game of football. Most teams platoon runners and use each of their skills to the most effective manner. Yet, with work in the passing game, Holmes has the size, skills, and enough speed to be a featured back in any offense. Work on his passing game fundamentals - route running and pass protection - will be the key to unlocking his full potential.

*******

• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated

• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98, @ThomasFrankCarr

• Like us on Facebook