Holley: Secret Is Out
Jesse Holley knows that football is his meal ticket to a college scholarship, but the 6-3 wide receiver/shooting guard from Roselle H.S. in New Jersey is not exactly an afterthought on the basketball court, either.
At this past weekend's Sonny Hill/Tony Samartino Future Stars Tournament at Temple University, Holley helped the Newark Rams reach the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champ Cecil Kirk #1.
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A good athlete with excellent body control, Holley is a very solid all-around prospect in basketball. He has a knack for make tough finishes off the dribble to the hole and is also an accomplished marksman from the perimeter. On top of that, he's unselfish and plays within the team concept.
However, football is the sport that Holley will play in college. He's being recruited higher in football than basketball at this juncture, though most of the programs involved with him understand that he wants to try his hand at both in college.
"Everybody knows that I am trying to play both so it's really not a secret any more," Holley said. "That's not going to change."
Holley told Rivalshoops that he has football scholarship offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Boston College, UCLA and Notre Dame. He also has several mid-high Division I offers in basketball from programs that don't have high profile football programs.
Holley said he is interested in taking trips in the fall to Michigan, North Carolina, Maryland, Notre Dame and UCLA. He's also very interested in the programs at Michigan State, Ohio State, Boston College and Virginia.
"I am looking for a program that fits me the best in both sports," he said. "A lot of these schools have a ton a big-time basketball players coming in."
"But I want to get myself established in football first," he continued. "And then I can work my way into the basketball program over time."
Holley didn't do any summer football events because of his commitment to Brian Crawford's Newark Ram Athletic program. He attended the adidas ABCD Camp, the adidas Big Time Tournament and the AAU Nationals.
Even so, he is still regarded by many services as the top wide receiver prospect in the Garden State.
Holley isn't expected to sign a national letter of intent until the February national letter of intent period, so we will keep you posted on his recruitment throughout the fall and into the winter.