Will continue scouting UK's commitments from time to time, and here I'll shine the spotlight on Dakota Holtzclaw. We've got a story on him coming soon and it should be pretty revealing.
Strengths: His size is an obvious asset. More impressive is the way he instinctively uses that size to his advantage. He is a great guy to have at receiver if the quarterback is throwing to the back shoulder. And his makes underthrown balls turn into big plays, because when he slows down and comes back to it he has the size to go up and locate it before the defensive back can make a play on it. I suggest you watch his film and get a look at his speed. He is a much better athlete than I think anyone would believe a 6-foot-7 receiver should be. I don't know exactly what his normal 40-time is but his stride is enormous and he does run away from people. He looks like a receiver all the way, not a tight end. He's not rail thin, either. His footwork is really good for someone his size, too.
Holtzclaw has nice, soft hands and catches the ball away from his body. His footwork is impressive for such a big guy and it's on display on his screens. UK tried to get Blake Bone involved in that aspect of the passing game and I'm sure Holtzclaw will see a few of those a season, too.
On his junior highlight reel his athleticism may be on the most full display when he's tracking plays down on defense. The way he cuts off seemingly good angles and outruns ball carriers is impressive.
Areas for Improvement: I'd say route running would be the top area mostly because it's tough for someone that long to get in and out of his breaks and also stay off physical coverage at the line of scrimmage. Playing outside receiver he's going to see a lot of contact at times because it's a way of mitigating his size advantage and slowing him down. He will need to become adept at fighting off defenders with his hands. He's mostly been a vertical threat so far. He will become a much better player if he shows he can go over the middle on slants and posts. I really don't think adding much weight is all that important although he wants to.
Holtzclaw: Junior Film
Strengths: His size is an obvious asset. More impressive is the way he instinctively uses that size to his advantage. He is a great guy to have at receiver if the quarterback is throwing to the back shoulder. And his makes underthrown balls turn into big plays, because when he slows down and comes back to it he has the size to go up and locate it before the defensive back can make a play on it. I suggest you watch his film and get a look at his speed. He is a much better athlete than I think anyone would believe a 6-foot-7 receiver should be. I don't know exactly what his normal 40-time is but his stride is enormous and he does run away from people. He looks like a receiver all the way, not a tight end. He's not rail thin, either. His footwork is really good for someone his size, too.
Holtzclaw has nice, soft hands and catches the ball away from his body. His footwork is impressive for such a big guy and it's on display on his screens. UK tried to get Blake Bone involved in that aspect of the passing game and I'm sure Holtzclaw will see a few of those a season, too.
On his junior highlight reel his athleticism may be on the most full display when he's tracking plays down on defense. The way he cuts off seemingly good angles and outruns ball carriers is impressive.
Areas for Improvement: I'd say route running would be the top area mostly because it's tough for someone that long to get in and out of his breaks and also stay off physical coverage at the line of scrimmage. Playing outside receiver he's going to see a lot of contact at times because it's a way of mitigating his size advantage and slowing him down. He will need to become adept at fighting off defenders with his hands. He's mostly been a vertical threat so far. He will become a much better player if he shows he can go over the middle on slants and posts. I really don't think adding much weight is all that important although he wants to.
Holtzclaw: Junior Film
