Dillon Holtan, who is a hard working, very articulate junior-to-be played very well at the Gophers Junior Camp.
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.