The Holmes thread is locked, so I dont know where to put this. I know we are all huge Pete Carrol fans here so I figured everyone would like this:
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Friday, December 16, 2005
Trojans spend three hours trying to lock up Holmes
ANTHONY GIMINO
agimino@tucsoncitizen.com
SCOTTSDALE - Louis Holmes was 45 minutes late for his news conference yesterday, in part because USC football coach Pete Carroll wouldn't take no for an answer.
LSU coaches wouldn't, either.
"I had to cut my phone off," Holmes said.
By the time he had dodged the last-second pleas and made it back to Scottsdale Community College, Holmes had out-run the Tigers, stiff-armed the Trojans and given Arizona its most significant recruit since . . . since . . . ever?
"I'm one who looks at things differently," said Holmes, a defensive end who is widely considered the nation's top junior college prospect. "I wanted to go somewhere that would best suit me, rather than where everyone else thought I should be."
Carroll thought Holmes should be in USC cardinal and gold, singing "Fight On" and starting on the Trojans' defensive line, which will have a vacancy at defensive end next season.
The Trojans - winners of two consecutive national titles, three of the past four Heisman trophies and 34 games in a row - thought so much of Holmes that Carroll, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin spent three hours with Holmes last week.
They met in Scottsdale coach Ken Giovando's cramped office, amid the books, tapes and boxes, the all-mighty Trojans intent on leaving with a commitment.
"It wasn't like they came in here and were like, "Hi, hi, adiós," said Giovando, adding that he has never seen recruiters stay for as long as three hours in his 40-year coaching career. "They weren't going anywhere.
"From the stuff I heard, they need him. They made that very clear. The defensive line coach had his laptop out, showing plays and pointing out where Louis would be. They made a joke that if he didn't show up, they were going to cancel their schedule. You know, ha ha ha."
But seriously, folks . . .
Isn't a scholarship from golden boy Carroll an offer you can't refuse?
"It wasn't too hard because (UA coach Mike Stoops) is a good coach," Holmes said. "He knows defense and is known for coaching some good defensive players, too. He has won championships. He is as good a coach as Pete Carroll."
But look at it this way: USC has won the same number of games this season (12) as UA has in the past four.
Yet the Wildcats, whose record indicates that maybe they should be competing with New Mexico, San Diego State and Washington State on the recruiting trail, are living somewhere in the neighborhood of the penthouse.
"We're not afraid to battle USC head to head," said Arizona recruiting coordinator Dan Berezowitz. "We're not afraid to battle Texas head to head."
Carroll battled to the end (although the official end is technically Wednesday, when Holmes can sign as a midyear transfer), calling Holmes repeated times yesterday, and getting on a three-way hookup with Franklin.
It has to take a pretty strong person to say no to that kind of USC pressure.
"Yeah, it does because they're winning and competing for national championships every year," Holmes said.
"Most of the top players want to go somewhere where it is already set. I want to set my own mark, be a part of something special.
"That could be the reason UA hasn't been successful lately. Maybe some top recruits don't want to step up to take the challenge."
Maybe it just takes one guy to get the ball rolling.
"Exactly," Holmes said.
Without Holmes' commitment, which had been made privately days earlier, the Wildcats probably don't get five-star junior college player Gabe Long, a defensive tackle who stated he wanted to play alongside Holmes. Long was a onetime USC commit who was sidetracked to junior college.
This recruiting high life has UA fans giddy . . . and USC backers a bit puzzled.
The Trojans' message boards were buzzing yesterday, with plenty of mocking of Holmes' decision:
"I look forward to seeing Holmes and Long on their backsides next year."
"We didn't need him anyway and I didn't want him. We can do a lot better."
Well, Carroll did want him. Badly. Which makes this recruiting win so special for an up-and-coming program such as Arizona.
"Coach Carroll did a great job recruiting him," Giovando said. "He was talking about how USC was bigger than ever, even bigger than when O.J. was there."
All that was just talk to Holmes, who spent some time chatting with Stoops' former players, including Oklahoma All-American defensive tackle Tommie Harris.
One bit of advice Holmes picked up: "It's not about what school I go to, it's what I do at the school," he said.
To USC's dismay, that school is UA.
Arizona's commitments
The Wildcats have 18 known commitments, with national signing day in early February. (
www.Scout.com,
www.Rivals.com star rankings in parentheses)
Player (Scout, Rivals) Pos. Ht. Wt. High school/hometown
Cody Anderson (3, 3) TE 6-6 252 Apache Junction HS
Colin Baxter (3, 3) OL 6-4 295 Palos Verdes Peninsula HS, Rolling Hills, Calif.
Glyndon Bolasky (3, 3) TB 6-0 192 Sabino HS
DeLaShaun Dean (4, 3) WR 6-4 190 Fairfield (Calif.) HS
Cory Elmore (2, 3) OL 6-5 255 Grace Brethren HS, Simi Valley, Calif.
Ricky Elmore (2, 3) DE 6-5 235 Grace Brethren HS, Simi Valley, Calif.
*Louis Holmes (5, 5) DE 6-5 280 Scottsdale CC; Dillard HS, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
*Gabe Long (5,5) DT 6-4 280 Fullerton (Calif.) College
Tyler Lyon (3, 3) QB 6-6 210 Hart HS, Newhall, Calif.
Earl Mitchell (3,3) TE 6-2 245 North Shore HS, Galena Park, Texas
Cam Nelson (3,3) CB 6-1 175 Kimball HS, Dallas
*Nate Ness (4, 3) FS 6-2 180 El Camino (Calif.) CC
Brooks Reed (3, 3) HB 6-3 220 Sabino HS
Terrell Reese (4, 3) WR 6-4 200 Hendrickson HS, Pflugerville, Texas
Derke Robinson (4, 4) TB 6-0 200 Hebron HS, Lewisville, Texas
A.J. Simmons (4,4) TE 6-4 245 Bishop O'Dowd HS, Oakland, Calif.
*James Tretheway (3, 3) OL 6-6 295 San Mateo (Calif.) College
Mike Turner (3, 4) CB 5-11 160 Manteca (Calif.) HS
*Junior college player
