Scott Satterfield has made a late addition to his UofL Football roster with the addition of Colgate Grad Transfer LB TJ Holl.
Excited to have another Cardinal join the family.
Welcome to The Ville, @TJ_Holl!
🔗: https://t.co/hlBuBcOVLD pic.twitter.com/1BQTqZqkrN
— LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) February 26, 2019
The 6’1 230 lbs LB is originally from Cranberry Township, PA and played his high school ball at Seneca Valley. Last year for Colgate, Holl had 121 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. He was quite productive.
I was able to watch some of Holl’s highlights. He’s got good speed, he’s strong, smart, and is just a really good player. Here are some of his attributes I noticed.
Speed
Holl has good speed both linearly and laterally. He can go sideline to sideline to make tackles or shoot gaps and get into the backfield. It explains why he had 121 tackles last year because he always ends up finding his way into a play.
Reading and Reacting
Holl is a very good read and react LB. He reads a play, diagnoses what it is, and then attacks. He’s very good at seeing holes open up for a RB and immediately filling the holes and making the tackle. He shows good eye discipline which should help against read option teams.
Sheds Blocks
As a LB, a player must be able to shed blocks. Holl is definitely good at this. Sometimes, he uses brute strength to run through a block and make a tackle. However, he also uses subtle moves to avoid blocks. For instance, a blocker came at him low, going for the waist it appeared, with his head down. Holl simply sidestepped the blocker and made the play. Another time, in a similar situation, he used a swim type move to avoid the oncoming blocker and make the tackle. This is a skill that will help the UofL LB Corps greatly.
Tackling/Hitting
Holl is an excellent tackler. He is very dependable as his tackle numbers prove out. He’s also a hard hitter. He isn’t afraid to absolutely obliterate an opponent. He wraps up and drives people to the turf. Obviously it is a trait UofL needs more of.
Experience and Leadership
Holl is obviously very experienced as he is a grad transfer. He should be able to make the transition to D1 ball relatively easily. He is also a leader. He made defensive adjustments for Colgate as you will see in his highlights. He is also leads emotionally; providing his team with fire and energy on the field.
Holl will be a big contributor for Scott Satterfield and UofL. His experience, leadership, playmaking, tackling, and consistency will provide a solid piece to the defense. Holl is a player that should be able to maintain the high level of play despite stepping up in competition. UofL will be better for having the experience and playmaking abilities Holl has to offer.
