DT Thomas Holley Has Ohio State On His Short List

Abraham Lincoln High School defensive tackle Thomas Holley is the top-rated high school football player in New York, so it's no surprise that he is being courted by more than 25 BCS-level schools. What may come as a surprise to those who have just discovered the phenom, though, is that he's only been playing football since his junior year. In addition, he missed preseason and the first three games last year due to transferring schools. This means the 6-4, 285-pound senior has only played in about a dozen games.

Holley made quite an impression during the 2012 season, thanks to his agility, athleticism, size and speed. During the summer, he attended both Nike's combine ("The Opening") and the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. Both showcase high school talent, and Holley showed exactly what he has to offer at both.

Offers have come in from more than two dozen schools, from as close to home as Syracuse and as far away as the deep south and the midwest. In August, Holley met with his family and high school coach Shawn O'Connor to narrow the list of schools to less than ten. He left the meeting with Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State Rutgers and Syracuse still in the running.

He's already made unofficial visits to all of these schools except Alabama, and has forged relationships with coaches there. He's also built solid relationships with coaches elsewhere, including Ohio State Coach Ed Warinner and Bob Diaco from Notre Dame. Holley, who is ranked on 247Sports' Composite as the 60th best player overall in the class of '14 and the 3rd best defensive tackle in the nation, plans to make a decision before the end of the year. He says the announcement will come in December or January.