ACE HOLLEMAN: Catching on
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:02 pmAsk around at one of the SMU Mustangs' preseason practices about which young players are catching the attention of players and coaches, and one of the first names mentioned — often the first name mentioned — is that of freshman WR Arrius "Ace" Holleman.
At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, Holleman stands out among the Ponies' posse of pint-sized pass catchers. But it's not just his size that makes the freshman from Lubbock's Monterey High School draw the attention of those around him. He also has shown the ability to make catches on a number of different kinds of routes, and is starting to grasp the concepts behind head coach June Jones's Run-and-Shoot offense.
In SMU's offense, the receivers are required to read and react to what defenses do in front of them. When run correctly, the quarterback and receivers make the same reads and adjust routes accordingly, even without audible communication. That complexity is a far cry from what was asked of Holleman at Monterey.
"I only ran three routes in high school," Holleman said, "the fade, the slant and the hitch — that was it."
Cornerback Kenneth Acker said that one thing that separates Holleman from some young receivers is his physical play. Holleman not only has the speed to get downfield, but he also has shown the strength and willingness to block downfield and a veteran's ability to turn his body between defenders and oncoming passes, making it virtually impossible for a defender to knock the ball away, much less intercept the pass.
"I never did that in high school," Holleman said. "I ran deep, the ball went up and I went to go get it — I relied on my speed. But you can't always do that here. The coaches told me I have to be more physical."
Holleman said he didn't receive a lot of private instruction on how to use his body to protect the ball from defenders. Instead, he called upon his ability in another sport.
"It's kind of natural to me, actually," he said. "It's like basketball, where you shield a guy from the ball to grab rebounds. That's basically what I'm trying to do."
For all of his size and strength and speed, playing receiver is ultimately about catching passes, in which Holleman has shown considerable ability. He has outrun some defenders for passes, jumped over defensive backs and even mixed in the occasional one-handed grab with his big-but-soft hands. All of his early success, however, has not assured him of a starting spot, or even guaranteed playing time.
"I have no clue," he said when asked where he stands in the Mustangs' receiver rotation. "I have made some plays, but I'm learning. I'm not playing special teams, so it all depends on what they think of the way I'm playing receiver."
It's too early to make any final determinations, but so far, Holleman has forced lot of people to pay attention to him in his first preseason camp at SMU.
At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, Holleman stands out among the Ponies' posse of pint-sized pass catchers. But it's not just his size that makes the freshman from Lubbock's Monterey High School draw the attention of those around him. He also has shown the ability to make catches on a number of different kinds of routes, and is starting to grasp the concepts behind head coach June Jones's Run-and-Shoot offense.
In SMU's offense, the receivers are required to read and react to what defenses do in front of them. When run correctly, the quarterback and receivers make the same reads and adjust routes accordingly, even without audible communication. That complexity is a far cry from what was asked of Holleman at Monterey.
"I only ran three routes in high school," Holleman said, "the fade, the slant and the hitch — that was it."
Cornerback Kenneth Acker said that one thing that separates Holleman from some young receivers is his physical play. Holleman not only has the speed to get downfield, but he also has shown the strength and willingness to block downfield and a veteran's ability to turn his body between defenders and oncoming passes, making it virtually impossible for a defender to knock the ball away, much less intercept the pass.
"I never did that in high school," Holleman said. "I ran deep, the ball went up and I went to go get it — I relied on my speed. But you can't always do that here. The coaches told me I have to be more physical."
Holleman said he didn't receive a lot of private instruction on how to use his body to protect the ball from defenders. Instead, he called upon his ability in another sport.
"It's kind of natural to me, actually," he said. "It's like basketball, where you shield a guy from the ball to grab rebounds. That's basically what I'm trying to do."
For all of his size and strength and speed, playing receiver is ultimately about catching passes, in which Holleman has shown considerable ability. He has outrun some defenders for passes, jumped over defensive backs and even mixed in the occasional one-handed grab with his big-but-soft hands. All of his early success, however, has not assured him of a starting spot, or even guaranteed playing time.
"I have no clue," he said when asked where he stands in the Mustangs' receiver rotation. "I have made some plays, but I'm learning. I'm not playing special teams, so it all depends on what they think of the way I'm playing receiver."
It's too early to make any final determinations, but so far, Holleman has forced lot of people to pay attention to him in his first preseason camp at SMU.
