Newcomer Profile: Dual-threat QB Jimmy Holiday
Will Friend made Jimmy Holiday a big priority for this 2020 class as head coach Jeremy Pruitt wanted two Quarterbacks in this recruiting cycle. Holiday probably has not been mentioned quite enough in regards to the Vols signees seeing that he joined late in the process.
With the Madison Academy product being from the state of Mississippi, he gets a first-hand look at the SEC every Saturday. Speed is displayed all across the SEC, however, it is rare to find a Quarterback with the burst that Holiday possesses. While Tennessee already has an exceptionally polished Quarterback, Harrison Bailey, on his way to Knoxville as well, it will only help to add a guy with a unique skill set.
The Vols staff has made it clear to the three-star athlete that if Quarterback doesn’t work out that they have a plan in place for him to be utilized. With Holiday’s elusiveness and breakaway speed, he could be used as a receiver and certainly featured in wildcat packages. Considering that Jimmy is such a gifted playmaker it’s difficult to see him not getting a few looks in various packages next season. Tennessee’s offense ranked just 92nd in the country in the red zone this past year. It is safe to say that plugging in a guy like Holiday could be beneficial for Jim Chaney’s offense in that regard. Holiday scored a total of 88 touchdowns in the high school ranks in just three years, and 51 of those came on the ground.
Holiday currently sits as the 789th overall prospect according to 247sports composite ranking.
Analysis - As already stated Holiday is an Elite athlete who will add a lot of versatility to Jim Chaney’s offense for the coming years. With 4.3 speed at the Quarterback position, it isn’t exactly what opposing defensive coordinators look forward to game planning around. Holiday has a strong arm and hits his receivers in stride, allowing them to make a play after the catch. Another quality of his that should be noted is that he can make some quality throws rolling to both his left and right. His ability to simply make defenders miss and run away from them in a hurry is what pops when the tape is turned on. Quarterback rooms don’t often see players like Holiday with his ability that he holds. Jim Chaney has a chance to add different dynamics and loops with Holiday now in the fold that have never been endeavored.