Blue White Illustrated

hen it comes to making decisions, Caziah Holmes doesn't waver. Sometimes that decision may be as simple as planting a foot in the ground and cutting up5eld, and other times it may be as drastic as choosing to sign with Penn State a8er only one visit to Happy Valley. One o7cial visit, a June trip to State College, was all it took for the four-star running back to choose Penn State over a list of suitors that included the most highly touted universities in his home state: Florida, Florida State and Miami. "I was ready to get the recruiting process over with so I could focus on football and school and getting ready to graduate [from high school] early," Holmes said. "But also, I felt like at Penn State I was at home, and me and my par- ents talked about it and we just felt like it was the perfect spot for me." Holmes, a Titusville, Fla., native, will now trade the warmth of central Florida for the winter of University Park as an early enrollee. As a running back from the Southeast, Holmes was recruited by Ja'Juan Seider – who Holmes said is "like a second dad" – and said that talking to him made the decision to travel north much easier. A8er graduating from Cocoa High School early, Holmes will now join a crowded running back room that already includes a fellow back who played his high school ball in Florida in Noah Cain, as well as a couple of other talented Nit- tany Lions set to return in 2020. The notion that he'll have to compete for touches early in his career isn't a de- terrent. In fact, it's a motivator. "I already told [Seider], I don't want anything handed to me," Holmes said. "I'm going to have to earn it. He told me to just be ready to work. It's exciting, knowing I'm coming in early and I get to learn from other guys who have already played, and I just want to work my butt o6 and get a chance to get on the 5eld." But Holmes' maturity as a decision- maker doesn't revolve solely around his future in football. In fact, his desire to excel o6 the 5eld is part of what made his 5t at Penn State so perfect, because while his 1,472 yards on the ground and 19 rushing touchdowns as a senior at Cocoa were undoubtedly impressive, his 4.02 GPA is just as important to the 5-foot-11, 190-pound all-purpose back. "I take a lot of pride in my studies," Holmes said. "I know I can't play football without school. I take school really seri- ously because football doesn't last for- ever. Whenever I retire, I've got something to fall back on." Added Ryan Schneider, his Cocoa High coach, "Caziah is a well-rounded young man who has a strong work ethic and who exhibits excellence in everything he does. He has great leadership qualities that he exhibits on and o6 the 5eld." That leadership manifested not only in Holmes captaining Cocoa as a senior, but also his commitment as a volunteer off the field. In addition to coaching football and track and field, he has vol- unteered in beach cleanup and cutting grass. Holmes plans to major in either busi- ness or marketing and is looking to one PSU is 'perfect spot' for Holmes to pursue goals | W THE HOLMES FILE STATS Rushed for 1,472 yards and 19 touchdowns on 180 carrries as a senior... Caught 21 passes for 203 yards and a TD... Finished with 1,150 rushing yards and 15 TDs as a junior, as well as 250 receiving yards and five TDs HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 7 all-purpose running back nationally and No. 30 prospect in Florida... Received first-team All-State, All-City and All- District honors CLICK HERE to see video of Holmes in action. U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L

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