Q&A: Junior OT Dillon Holtan Says It Would be a "Dream Come True" to Play for Gophers

[GopherHole Staff]

Q&A: Junior OT Dillon Holtan Says It Would be a "Dream Come True" to Play for Gophers

Junior OT Dillon Holtan Says It Would be a "Dream Come True" to Play for Gophers

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/274803?referrer_id=388419

The Gophers Junior Camp is an opportunity for in-coming juniors to impress the U coaching staff and vice versa. With recruiting starting earlier and earlier for high school kids, these Junior Camps are critical to establishing relationships with the coaches and athletes. For Stewartville, MN OT Dillon Holtan, it was a great opportunity to get to know and impress the Gopher coaches, see the facilities and improve as a player.

GopherHole caught up with the 6-6, 270lb Holtan to learn about his U Camp experience, his interest in playing for his home-state school and about his recruitment.

GopherHole: How was the Gopher camp you attended?

Dillon Holtan: Camp went very well! I expected a tough day with tough competition, but I felt as though I was in the upper half of the guys there.

GopherHole: What coaches did you get to work with and what other recruits did you get to meet?

Dillon Holtan: For the most part I worked with coach Limegrover and his GA, Coach Olson. As for recruits, I met Zac Johnson, Drayton Carlberg, and Grant Schmidt.

GopherHole: What were your impressions of the Gopher facilities?

Dillon Holtan: The football facilities at the U of M are amazing and well-kept. It left a lasting impression on me to say the least.

GopherHole: What have the Gopher coaches told you about their interest and recruitment of you?

Dillon Holtan: Coach Sherels and Coach Poore knew who I was right from the get go. Coach Sherels just told me to keep working hard in the weight room and it will pay off. Also that it was great to see me working at the camp. Coach Poore seemed MUCH more interested. He pulled me aside and said that I'm a guy they want to build a strong relationship with, have up there for a game or two, as well as to come visit their spring practices next year. He said I went out and I stood out at the camp.

GopherHole: What other schools are you starting to hear from?

Dillon Holtan: The schools who have been keeping up with me he most other than Minnesota is Nebraska and South Dakota State. My team goes to SDSU for team camp each summer and the offensive line coach, John Flynn, was interested in me and had extended to me an invitation to their individual skills camp next year. Nebraska has sent me a camp invite and a couple questionnaires to fill out. Northwestern also had a coach come visit my school and talk to a few of my teammates and myself about working hard in the classroom and on the field and that recruitment would kickoff soon after September 1. Only one Division 2 school has given me a ton of interest and that is Minnesota State University-Mankato. Coach Eck who is the O-Line coach there has told me he was impressed by me at their one day camp and they are offering me 3 tickets to each one of their home games this fall as well as a campus tour.

GopherHole: What would it mean for you to play for the U?

Dillon Holtan: I'd love to play college football anywhere that carries my major of interest. However, if I could play for my home state team, it'd be a dream come true!!! I love the stadium and the school, so it's a win win.

GopherHole: Have you attended Gopher games growing up?

Dillon Holtan: Sadly, I've never been to any Gopher sporting event. Fortunately, now that recruiting is going to start picking up more, the coaches invited me to a couple games after we finished Junior Day. It'll be a great first experience and I'm looking forward to it!

GopherHole: Are you attending any other camps this summer?

Dillon Holtan: Minnesota's Junior Day camp was the last of my camps for the summer. I started with team camp out at SDSU and then went to Winona State University's one day camp, followed by Illinois State University's one day camp, Mankato State University's one day camp, and finished it off with Junior Day.

GopherHole: Do you play any other sports?

Dillon Holtan: I played basketball from 7th-9th grade. Since I made the starting lineup for varsity football in 10th grade, I dropped basketball to lift weights year round for football. I knew I had more of a future in football rather than basketball.

GopherHole: What are you working on this summer as you head into your junior season?

Dillon Holtan: I've been in the weight room 4 days a week with my teammates this summer. The biggest thing I want to do is get bigger and stronger. I'm also trying to work on footwork and techniques because this season is HUGE and I want to make sure I do the little things right because then the big things will follow.

GopherHole: How would your opponents and teammates describe you as a player and competitor?

Dillon Holtan: I can't really gauge that because I haven't ever really asked them. I'm sure they would say I work hard and I do it for the team and want the team to have the best outcome possible. I have a very competitive nature about myself as well so it's pretty fun getting at it on Friday Nights.

 

[The Gopher Report]

Q&A with Dillon Holtan - "To play at Minnesota would be a milestone for me."

Holtan, 6’6″ and 270 pounds, started at tackle as a sophomore for Stewarville.

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.​