Melvin Holland is GOLDEN - UPDATED with GopherHole Q&A w/ Holland

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Melvin, meet Mitch. Mitch, meet Melvin.
 

Huge. I think he has only played one year at WR which may explain how he was 'under the radar'. With him Jones and Woli we look to have a very nice group of young WRs. Gotta love this commit - so needed this year. Ski-U-Mah!
 

Excited to see Holland join Jones and Wolitarsky. Seems like we are rebounding from the McDonald and Harbison defections quite nicely.
 

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Think it was the Hockey City Classic attendance that sealed the deal? ;)
 


How do you guys think Melvin compares to Donovahn Jones physically and athletically? they both have a similar build being 6-3 and 190-200. Melvin runs a 4.7 forty and i think he has a little more straight line speed then Jones although i think Jones has a better vertical leap. They seem to be very similar in terms of raw physical ability but hopefully Holland is a little bit ahead of when Jones was a freshman with Holland playing WR in HS and him playing WR for all of fall camp instead of spending the first week or 2 at QB like Jones
 




Nice!

I always get nervous and excited at the same time when I log on and see over 1200 people in the football forum.
 


Very nice, indeed.
Seems one can't leave the hole for very long and another one pops out!
 

Huge get.

He topped our wish list at the position that probably needs the most help. His tape is so impressive that I still am nervous about the LSUs of the world popping their heads in. This kid should play right away (assuming he doesn't get nicked up in the preseason) and be everything we hoped we'd get out of Andre McDonald.

Welcome aboard! It's a good day to be a Gopher football fan.
 





This makes me very happy! One question though, who's going to wear #21 - Melvin or Jeff Jones?
 

Dr.Don said:
Whoa, Flatfoot...your comment can be kind of misleading!!!
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Oops, Doc...you're right...I was just thinking about that Happy Gilmore "happy place".
Still want three more on my wish list for this class and of course spring football!
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Huge get.

He topped our wish list at the position that probably needs the most help. His tape is so impressive that I still am nervous about the LSUs of the world popping their heads in. This kid should play right away (assuming he doesn't get nicked up in the preseason) and be everything we hoped we'd get out of Andre McDonald.

Welcome aboard! It's a good day to be a Gopher football fan.
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I had the same thought today and Checked out LSU's recruiting class and they already have 3 WRs committed.
 


ESPN scouting report of him

Size-Strength-Speed Looks great on the hoof. Thickly built and tall with a physical stature that aids in his ability both vertically and after the catch. Is an imposing target off the line and is capable of making up for a lack of explosive speed with strength and use of his wingspan. Can be a short strider with a bit of tension in the hips as a result. Has competitive long speed given his size and is a galloping, physical force as a runner.
Separation Skills Sneaky. He has a strong stride and is more explosive into and out of breaks than you might think. Uses his frame, long arms and strength to muscle through tight quarters and nudge himself clear. He is a bit of a bull in a china shop and will get defenders to back off of him with his off the line surge and stature. He's not a sudden, cat-like player, but given his size he does have very good agility.

Ball Skills Has big, strong, soft hands. Shows ball skill focus and catches the ball away from his frame. Will high point and extend above his head to secure the football. Quickly tucks and transitions upfield upon catching the football and has the body control and catch radius to adjust to poorly thrown balls outside of his frame.

Big Play Ability The more you watch him, the better he gets. He is sneaky fast and explosive, but his physical stature makes him very difficult to handle in space one-on-one. You can't tackle him without help. He is a redzone mismatch, he can shield the ball from defenders on underneath routes and he can extend plays after the catch. Could be utilized in the slot as well and is a mismatch against safeties and linebackers one-on-one.

Bottom Line Holland is an impressive, under the radar player that we are surprised has slipped through the cracks he's very similar to another WR in this class Chris Godwin committed to Penn State. He has the coveted measurables and playmaking ability necessary for the BCS level of play. He should be seeing more interest in our opinion.
 

die hard gopher said:
How do you guys think Melvin compares to Donovahn Jones physically and athletically? they both have a similar build being 6-3 and 190-200. Melvin runs a 4.7 forty and i think he has a little more straight line speed then Jones although i think Jones has a better vertical leap. They seem to be very similar in terms of raw physical ability but hopefully Holland is a little bit ahead of when Jones was a freshman with Holland playing WR in HS and him playing WR for all of fall camp instead of spending the first week or 2 at QB like Jones
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This is obviously a layman's POV, but I think there styles are going to be quite different. It's obviously hard to say because I've only seen 1/2 year of Jones in his first year at WR and I've only seen Melvin Holland highlights. However, I agree with your assessment. I think of Jones as a tall and fast guy who is a huge leaper. He reminds me more of the Randy Moss type. I think you're going to see D. Jones fight for a lot of jump balls. I think D. Jones is going to do a lot of his work on the outside.

Holland's highlights remind me a lot of Andre McDonald's coming out of HS. He seems really tough with the ball in his hand, more like a RB. Even though he is a big dude, he seems like he could do some work in the slot. I think he'll be more of a YAC guy.

Like I said though, this is all just a guess. Either way, the future of our receivers is looking pretty good.
 

Digger01 said:
This makes me very happy! One question though, who's going to wear #21 - Melvin or Jeff Jones?
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I think Jones wears #23 for basketball. Nice problem to have.
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>New <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gopher&src=hash">#Gopher</a> WR commit Melvin Holland (<a href="https://twitter.com/MelloYllw21">@MelloYllw21</a>) will shut down his recruiting completely and tells GI that he's 100% a Gopher now.</p>— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsGI) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanBurnsGI/statuses/427985206230790144">January 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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PhillyGopher said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>New <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gopher&src=hash">#Gopher</a> WR commit Melvin Holland (<a href="https://twitter.com/MelloYllw21">@MelloYllw21</a>) will shut down his recruiting completely and tells GI that he's 100% a Gopher now.</p>— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsGI) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanBurnsGI/statuses/427985206230790144">January 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Great news. I can't wait until signing day!
 


Golden Goldy said:
Think it was the Hockey City Classic attendance that sealed the deal? ;)
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GophersInIowa said:
Nice!

I always get nervous and excited at the same time when I log on and see over 1200 people in the football forum.
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I logged in Saturday night to see if the hockey team won after FSN went out. 16 people were on the Hockey Forum. 647 on here.
 


PhillyGopher said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>New <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gopher&src=hash">#Gopher</a> WR commit Melvin Holland (<a href="https://twitter.com/MelloYllw21">@MelloYllw21</a>) will shut down his recruiting completely and tells GI that he's 100% a Gopher now.</p>— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsGI) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanBurnsGI/statuses/427985206230790144">January 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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I love how this has to be clarified after a player commits. That family pic with Kill would come back to haunt him if LSU offered.

Awesome get. Holland looks like a Top 250 player for sure.
 

highwayman said:
I logged in Saturday night to see if the hockey team won after FSN went out. 16 people were on the Hockey Forum. 647 on here.
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Gopherhole plays second fiddle to gopherpucklive when it comes to hockey.
 

Great signing! I think we really got a good one here. In my mind, it was the early recognition from our coaches and getting our foot in the door earlier than the other FBS schools that made the big difference. It's exciting to think about where our offense could be in a few years!
 

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