With the spring evaluation period underway, Tennessee’s football coaches are getting the chance to watch current recruiting targets and identify new ones as well. One of those new targets emerged over the last week, and he’s one of the fastest prospects in the 2020 class.
Jimmy Holiday is a dynamic athlete who plays quarterback for Madison Central in Madison, Mississippi. He’s started to get interest from tons of schools since 2019 began, and his latest offer comes from Tennessee.
Blessed to Receive a Offer from University Tennessee ?‼️@wesrucker247 @CoachJPruitt @dhughes234 @shayhodge3 pic.twitter.com/m8RW19h7Nz
— Jimmy Holiday (@jimmythejet3) April 25, 2019
Holiday is rated as a three-star and only the No. 1,108 overall prospect and No. 27 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class according to 247Sports, but that’s only likely because quarterback doesn’t look to be his position of the future. He plays it now because he’s the most talented athlete on Madison Central’s roster, but he could play a number of positions in college, such as wide receiver, running back, or defensive back.
Since 2019 began, Holiday has not only added an offer from the Vols, but he’s also picked up offers from Ole Miss, Kansas, Memphis, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State, and even schools like Rice and Dartmouth.
What makes Holiday stand out from other prospects is his lightning-fast speed. At a regional camp for Nike’s The Opening in March, Holiday was timed running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and a 4.40-second shuttle. Not only that, but he also has nearly a 35-inch vertical leap.
When you watch his film, Holiday is actually a better thrower of the football than you might expect, but it’s still pretty obvious that his highest ceiling is probably at a different position in college. Holiday uses that elite speed to outrun defenders, and he couples that with some really good awareness and vision as well. The 6-foot, 180-pound athlete is tough to bring down on the run. He’s shifty and is also grittier than you might think just from looking at him.
As a junior last season for Madison Central, Holiday completed 54.8 percent of his 188 pass attempts for 1,518 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions while running for 1,457 yards and 18 scores on 206 carries according to MaxPreps. He was named the Offensive MVP of his region in Mississippi and was voted as a First-Team All-State quarterback.
Tennessee has a quarterback committed to them in their 2020 class already in four-star pro-style QB Harrison Bailey. The Vols also have a running back and wide receiver committed to them in three-star running back Ebony Jackson and three-star receiver Jimmy Calloway. It remains to be seen what position Holiday is truly being recruited at, but he certainly has the speed and athleticism to set himself apart from other prospects.
