Kent State has a long history with versatile playmakers. You had Julian Edelman, Josh Cribbs, and now there’s Nick Holley. The running back, wide receiver, quarterback hybrid looks like he’ll be the Golden Flashes main signal caller this year. And if Holley is anything like his predecessors, he will be ready to take on all competition.
Going into his career at Kent State, Holley was positioned at the RB spot. He wasn’t just satisfied with being one position, deciding to play some WR for the Golden Flashes. While the freshman campaign was uneventful, his Sophomore year showcased his versatility at both positions.
During his second season with Kent, Holley rushed for 516 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown. He was the typical pro-style scatback that NFL teams drool over. However, all wasn’t perfect for Holley.
During his Junior season, Holley suffered a season ending injury during the team’s third game. The NCAA granted him a medical hardship, giving him an extra year of eligibility. And after sitting out almost the entire 2015 season, Holley came back firing on all cylinders for his Junior year.
Going into Holley’s RS Junior year of 2016, he was counted on again to provide that versatile style of play. And while his receiving numbers took a hit, his rushing statistics improved. He ran for 920 yards and 10 touchdowns. Although, the biggest takeaway from 2016 was his ability to play at QB.
As Kent prepares for the 2017 season, they will look for Holley to improve on his 868 passing yards from a season ago. He’s got a similar playing style to that of former Kent State Golden Flashes, Cribbs and Edelman as he’s a run-first QB, and a multi-position threat.
While Holley might not be as gifted at the QB position as Cribbs and Edelman, he can be classified as the same type of athletic freak as they were with Kent State.
Year after year it appears that the Golden Flashes always produce these hybrid offensive players. Nick Holley is the latest in that class.
Are Nick Holley’s QB skills good enough to lead the Kent State Golden Flashes this year? We will soon find out. But if his ability to succeed as a running back and wide receiver are any indication, a move to QB shouldn’t be too hard to master.
It’s quite remarkable how Holley was able to bounce back after his missed season in 2015. He became the first Kent player since 1973 to win back- to- back MAC offensive player of the week. While it wasn’t a historic season, Holley certainly did enough to cement himself in the history books of Kent State.