Q&A with Dillon Holtan - "To play at Minnesota would be a milestone for me."
Q:How do you think your season went this year?
A: I thought I did alright. I went from starting 9th grade center to starting varsity right tackle over the course of one calendar year. It took me a bit to adjust, but I progressed well as the season went on.
Q: Have you started hearing from any college coaches? If so, which schools have been recruiting you?
A: I have been invited to numerous camps and I have also reached out to college coaches. None of them have been actually recruiting me because it's against the NCAA guidelines, which I'm familiar with. However, a couple schools have shown their interest and made their interest apparent. NDSU coach Scott Fuchs and I have been talking back and forth since March about camps to attend and when I could visit the University. Coach Mike Hankwitz from Northwestern also contacted my coach. He came to my school and introduced himself. He encouraged me to keep up the work on and off the field. University of Minnesota graduate assistant coach Mike Sherels had called up my head coach and asked him if I would be interested in attending the Gophers' Junior Elite Day on July 21st. I happily accepted. Minnesota State Mankato and Winona State University have shown great interest in me. I’m attending each of their one day camps. The lone Division-III school that has shown interest in me is St. John's University.
Q: Other than the three camps you mentioned are you planning to attend any other camps or combines?
A: Yes, I am. Along with the Junior Day camp at Minnesota, I am attending a handful of other camps. From June 18 through June 21, my team is heading to Brookings, SD to attend the Jackrabbit football camp at South Dakota State University. On June 27, I am attending the Winona State Warriors football camp. On July 8, I am heading to Normal, Illinois to attend the Redbird's football camp at Illinois State University. After that on July 13, I'm heading to Mankato to attend the Mavericks’ one-day camp. Then, as I mentioned before, the Junior Day Elite camp at TCF Bank Stadium on July 21
Q: Have you thought much about what you want when making a college decision?
A: The first and main thing I am looking for in colleges right now are if they have the major I want. Other factors include how well of a reputation the school is, the school's coaching staff, and how strong of a football tradition the school upholds. Other factors include the cost of tuition, room, and board at the school as well as the location of the school.
Q: What do you want to major in?
A: I am planning on majoring in Health Sciences. In particular, Athletic Training.
Q: You mentioned in Allen Trieu's article that the Gophers were/are your favorite team? Do you attend many games?
A: I have not ever attended a Gopher football game. I am embarrassed to admit it, because I've been begging my mom every year for tickets to at least one home game. It always falls out of our budget. Our household income is on the low end. It’s hard to make ends meet, let alone get tickets to a Gopher game.
Q: Would it mean a lot to play in-state at Minnesota?
A: To play at Minnesota would be a milestone for me. I started playing football in 4th grade for the Rochester Youth Football Association and never really gave college ball a thought. As time went on, I realized that I wanted to further my career past high school football. I was determined to be a Gopher out of High School and hopefully make a shot at the pros. Although it would still mean the world to me to put on a maroon and gold uniform, I know I need to take this process one step at a time if I want to play at the next level for Minnesota.
Q: What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses?
A: I feel that my greatest strengths are my size, length, and discipline. I might be the biggest lineman in our conference. Along with that, I feel that I feel I'm one of the more disciplined players on our team and possibly in the conference. In my first year on varsity, I had no false start penalties in 9 full games. I did have a couple late hits and one hold call. In my opinion, my biggest weakness is my footwork. I feel that my footwork hasn't quite reached the rest of my skill set. My skill set earned me a spot on the starting roster, but my footwork can be and will be improved come my junior and senior years.
Q: Do you have any goals for next year?
A: Goals…I do have a few I want to achieve this coming fall. The first goal is to earn my spot back on the varsity line. My coach tells me I have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing my spot, but I don't want to assume. I bust my butt 3 days a week in our team's offseason weight lifting program called the "Iron Tiger," of which I have won the Iron Tiger award 4 times. Another goal for me is to help my team in any way possible to achieve a winning record and a high seed for the playoffs. One of the biggest goals of mine is to be nominated a team co-captain. I think I have the leadership qualities in the classroom and in the weight room, and I'm planning on displaying that more on the field this summer and fall.
