Elijah Holyfield has decided to stay with Georgia’s Bulldogs. The son of former heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield committed to his hometown team after considering and rejecting over 30 offers from prestigious colleges.
Evander Holyfield’s son Elijah, a 4-star RB, just committed to #Georgia .
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 4, 2015
Opting to stay with the Bulldogs, Elijah Holyfield passed other offers from institutions like Alabama, South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee, and many others who were vying to have him. Holyfield, the No. 5 running back recruit in the class of 2016 who once sprinted a breathtaking 1,735 yards, has about 28 touchdowns to his name.
Though multiple institutes attempted to lure the 5-10, 204-pound running back, Elijah Holyfield chose to stay home and play for Bulldogs instead. Though the announcement is very recent, Holyfield had never kept his admiration for Bulldogs a secret and had mentioned his fondness for the home-state Bulldogs throughout the process, reported ESPN.
Apparently, Holyfield had even made a “secret commitment” to Bulldogs a couple of months back, adding that he’d known for quite some time where he wanted to attend, reported WSB TV. However, though Georgia had extended an invitation to Holyfield way back in September 2014, the program didn’t make him a priority until the spring of 2015. The state’s No. 17 player made the announcement accompanied with two bulldogs by his side.
Subsequent to the announcement, Holyfield tweeted a picture showing off his bulging arms and sporting a Georgia shirt.
With his decision, Elijah Holyfield has become the ninth ESPN 300 commitment for the Bulldogs. The group also features No. 3-ranked pocket passer Jacob Eason and No. 9-ranked defensive tackle Julian Rochester on its roster. With Holyfield, Georgia now boasts commitments from six of the top 20 prospects in the state. Interestingly, many of the top national prospects are also considering the Bulldogs. Some of the notable mentions who are seriously considering joining the Bulldogs include four-star corner Shyheim Carter, TE Isaac Nauta, five-star DT Rashan Gary, and others.
During the early stages of the recruitment, Holyfield had the choice of Big Ten programs such as Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. He is a four-star prospect and ranks inside the top 175 of 2016’s incoming class and checks in as the No. 5 running back in the group, according to 247Sports . In total, Holyfield had received about 32 offers but chose to bypass all the others to commit to Bulldogs.
Elijah Holyfield undoubtedly has a promising long-term outlook, and it is apparent why Georgia made him a priority.
[Image Credit | Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images]
