Devy Profile: Elijah Holyfield, RB Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs are loaded at the running back position with multiple four and five-star recruits on the roster. Nick Chubb is one of their most famed players with 3,424 yards and 29 touchdowns on his career. He will more than likely be one of the top running back prospects in next year’s class. Sony Michel is another excellent running back who has done a stellar job filling in when Chubb was injured. He rushed for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns during his sophomore season.

The Bulldogs also have Elijah Holyfield waiting in the wings for his chance to showcase his abilities. He’s a very talented running back who has the ability to be one of the best running backs in the nation when given the opportunity. Georgia reeled in Zamir White, another gifted running back for the 2018 recruiting class, who’s a five-star phenom from Laurinburg, North Carolina.

Georgia’s depth chart is log jammed with talented running backs, making the waters a little bit murky for some of the players on the roster. The overabundance of quality depth at running back is a strength for the Bulldogs, and it’s quite apparent that Georgia is currently being recognized as RBU (Running Back University) due to their plethora of running back talent through the years which includes names like Isaiah Crowell and Todd Gurley.

As a Recruit

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Holyfield was a four-star recruit from Woodard Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. There, he rushed for a total of 4,043 yards and 55 touchdowns during his four-year high school career. His junior season was his most productive, as he accumulated 1,735 yards and 25 touchdowns on 264 carries in 14 games. He did not fumble the ball once during his entire high school career.

247Sports ranked him seventh amongst all running backs and 173 overall in the entire 2015 recruiting class. During the recruiting process, Holyfield was one of the most sought-after running backs in the country, receiving offer letters from top-notch programs like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and USC before deciding to sign with the Georgia Bulldogs. Altogether, he received scholarship offers from 32 different major collegiate programs.

Freshman Season

He was used sparingly during his freshman season, appearing in just five games, carrying the ball six times for a total of 29 yards. Georgia relied heavily on Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to carry load, with both backs accumulating 1,970 rushing yards while owning a 44.10 percent market share of the team’s offensive production.

There were little to no opportunities for Holyfield to make his imprint on the offense during his freshman year. Chubb and Michel are two of the better running back prospects in the nation which makes it hard for any running back to compete, let alone a freshman running back who is still acclimating to the college game. He also injured his ankle during the second scrimmage in fall camp, causing him to spend most of the season rehabbing from the injury.

Running Style

Holyfield is a very impressive runner with quick feet and will blow up defenders at the point of contact. He’s a very decisive runner who will more often than not approach the running lane without hesitation. His blend of power, speed and burst makes him very hard to tackle in one-on-one situations. Even with him measuring at 5’10’’ and weighing 215 pounds, he can still deliver more than enough power to run through arm tackles and drive back tacklers for extra yardage.

He has the short area quickness and the lateral agility to easily slip by defenders, making him very dangerous in the open field. Not only is he a very slippery runner, but he also has the speed to blow by the defense when given the opportunity. Holyfield is a well-rounded prospect who has all the tools to develop into one of the best running backs in the nation.

Here’s a look at Elijah Holyfield fighting his way for a nice gain pic.twitter.com/h9mMBKSm7u

— Bruce Matson (@BMatz08) August 12, 2017

In the clip above, Holyfield exemplifies his ability to use his vision by manipulating the defenders’ momentum to slip into the second level of the defense. He finishes his run by keeping his pad level low and falling forward for extra yardage.

Passing Game

Due to only receiving six carries during his freshman season, we don’t have much footage to evaluate his competence as a pass blocker. He’s a very physical runner and he loves to lay the wood at the point of contact, so pass protection should come natural to him once he gets more involved with the offense.

Although he doesn’t have much experience catching the ball out of the backfield at the University of Georgia, you can tell he’s capable of catching the football by viewing his high school footage. He caught 38 receptions for 424 yards during his high school career. Holyfield can be very explosive with the ball in his hands, making him very dangerous catching passes in the open field. He will be more than competent in the passing game once he gets the opportunity to play a significant amount of snaps.

Projecting His Future

He will battle Nick Chubb and Sony Michel for carries this season and he should get an opportunity to be the team’s primary running back in 2018. Holyfield will need to take command of the backfield as soon as possible because Zamir White, a five-star running back from the 2018 recruiting class, will be looking over his shoulder ready to take over as the team’s starting running back. White is a very talented runner and will instantly become the team’s bell-cow back if Holyfield slips up.

Unless he has a terrible performance in 2017 or a bad spring next year, he’s going to get the first crack at being the team’s lead back next year. His play will dictate whether he will be the team’s long-term option at running back. Holyfield will be facing stiff competition and too many mistakes could easily push him down the depth chart. He’s a very impressive running back and when given the opportunity he will make his imprint on the Georgia Bulldog’s offensive.

Off the Field

Athleticism runs in his family, considering Evander Holyfield, former undisputed boxing champion in the cruiser and heavy weight divisions, is his father. As a youth, he dabbled in boxing, but ultimately football became his strong suit. He’s a gym rat who puts a lot of time in the weight room. During his high school days, he would compete in track field in the spring, with the 100-meter run being his best event.

On May 1, 2017, he was arrested for two misdemeanor marijuana charges. Georgia’s drug policy calls for a one-game suspension for a marijuana arrest.

Conclusion

The sky is the limit for this kid and he could easily take college football by storm when it’s his turn to be the team’s bell-cow back. He would’ve started as a true freshman for a lot of schools last year and if it wasn’t for Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, he would’ve been slotted as the team’s starting running back early in his career. We might have to wait another year, but he will eventually get his opportunity to shine.

Due to his sheer talent, he’s worth rostering and holding onto with a tight grip in devy leagues. Once he gains the starting running back role for Georgia, his value should immediately increase, making him one of the most lucrative backs in college football. Holyfield has the physical skills to be the next stud running back in college football.

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