Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta defensive end Julius Holly committed to Michigan. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, among others.
Holly is listed at 6’3″ and 230 pounds. As a junior in 2023, he made 57 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. He claims a 4.8 forty, a 4.63 shuttle, an 8’10” broad jump, and a 79.6″ broad jump.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #34 DE
On3: 4-star, 90 grade, #25 DE, #236 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #22 WDE
247 Sports: 3-star, 89 grade, #31 EDGE
Hit the jump for more.
Holly wasn’t really on the radar until new defensive line coach Lou Esposito offered him in late May. The in-state Bulldogs followed up about ten days later with an offer, and he took officials to Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, along with Michigan, before deciding to pick the Wolverines.
Holly has some nice clips in his highlights of him chasing down some plays from behind. He seems to have a good motor, and I like his humility after making plays. He’s not particularly demonstrable or celebratory and just seems to go about his business. Playing mostly out of a two-point stance, he has a good stance and perhaps a more efficient get-off than recent wide receiver commitment Jacob Washington. (That’s less a slight of Washington and more a compliment to Holly.) He has the acceleration to challenge pass protectors with his speed rush, and the tenacity to bring down ball carriers. He makes some nice arm tackles and seems to be a capable tackler in the run game, too.
What I don’t see from Holly is a real ability to dip his inside shoulder, turn the corner, and get leverage on pass protectors. In fact, if he doesn’t win with quickness off the snap, I’m not sure he has the secondary or tertiary moves to win. While his overall motor will help him make some plays, I would like to see him improve the use of his hands and do a better job of locking out blockers. He’s not the biggest of edge rushers at 6’3″ and 230 pounds, and he could get overwhelmed by some bigger blockers.
Overall, I see a similar player to Jaylen Harrell. Harrell never really wowed with his speed, quickness, strength, or size, but he had a good enough combination of all those qualities to make him an effective player. Unless Holly really develops an array of moves, I don’t think he’ll be a star, but he could be a solid contributor by year three.
Michigan now has thirteen commitments in the class of 2025, and Holly is the first true edge player, joining defensive linemen Nathaniel Marshall (LINK) and Jaylen Williams. Michigan has never landed a scholarship player from Alpharetta, but there have been a couple recent walk-ons from the school, including long snapper Will Wagner and linebacker Alexander Lidback.
TTB Rating: 76
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