Here's What's Happened To Vince Holmes In Year's Time

The Husky safety started against USC and then had a new defensive coordinator, safeties coach and defensive scheme to deal with.

Vince Holmes, shown in the Apple Cup, could be asked to play more against Purdue. | Dave Sizer photo

Vince Holmes belatedly is celebrating a football anniversary. Just over a year ago, the University of Washington safety started his first college game against USC, a team that tried hard to recruit the Southern California native.

It went well. On November 2 of last year, Holmes came up with a career-best 4 tackles in a 26-21 victory over the Trojans as an injury fill-in. He seemed to be on his way to a greater Husky role.

Twelve months later, though, he finds himself back in a similar situation, on call to open another game against Purdue on Saturday, if necessary, with senior Makell Esteen hobbled. Holmes spelled Esteen some last weekend in the UW's 13-10 loss at Wisconsin.

What's happened to him in between is typical college football stuff these days. Rather than move up as a starter and stay there, the 6-foot, 187-pound Holmes got a new defensive coordinator, a new safeties coach and a new scheme to deal with in the offseason.

All of that sort of put him back at ground zero. Yet he's still considered a young player with so-called upside.

"That's another guy we're excited about who's got multiple years," defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said of the third-year sophomore. "He's very athletic, he can run, he can hit."

A Kalen DeBoer recruit from San Jacinto, California, Holmes has appeared in 25 games overall for the Huskies, including all nine this season, mostly on special teams.

DeBoer's staff used him in four outings during the 2023 season, inserting him during big moments such as a road game at USC and the Pac-12 championship game against Oregon while preserving his eligibility.

Once Jedd Fisch took over in Montlake, Holmes entered the transfer portal twice only to return each time and even briefly switched over to wide receiver before finally conceding once and for all he should be a UW safety.

He endured a bit of setback at Rutgers last season by running on to the field to celebrate a blocked field goal -- while the play was still happening -- with his impulsive actions negating the change of possession and leading to a touchdown in the UW's 21-18 loss. He's never made it easy on himself.

Vince Holmes has tried to put his Rutgers snafu behind him. | Dave Sizer photo

Further challenging him, Northern Arizona junior transfer Alex McLaughlin came in and secured one of the safety starting spots opposite Esteen, while promising freshman Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen has received plenty of game time this fall and even started as a third safety at Michigan.

For Holmes, a noted hard hitter, it's just a matter of hanging in there and dealing with the nuanced safety responsibilities of Walters' defense and the added competition. Athletically speaking, he's right there.

"Just his consistency with his play and doing the right things within the framework of the scheme needs to improve a little bit," said Walters, once a highly decorated safety himself at Colorado. "If you just go play football in the parking lot, he's going to be really good."

Either way, it's a belated happy anniversary for Holmes as a safety starter while he's looking to become one again.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: