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Florida has claimed another massive flip on the recruiting trail, as first reported by Mike Farrell of Rivals: Defensive tackle Thomas Holley has flipped his commitment from Penn State to Florida. The news was subsequently reported by Rivals Penn State reporter Ryan Snyder and 247Sports' Tom Loy.
Holley committed to the Nittany Lions in December despite a late push by the Gators, but Penn State coach Bill O'Brien's departure for the Houston Texans and defensive line coach Larry Johnson's departure to Ohio State left the door open for Holley to back out of his pledge. On this Wednesday, he's done just that.
Holley's a four-star prospect in 247Sports' 247Composite rankings, and the No. 3 defensive tackle in the country, but the site's own scouts have Holley as a five-star prospect, the No. 2 defensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 18 prospect in the class of 2014.
Holley also has the frame, at 6'4" and near 290 pounds, to play defensive tackle in the SEC with a little bit of bulking up, and certainly has the athleticism, as a long-time star basketball player, to be a menace. And he hails from Brooklyn, putting him in Dominique Easley's footsteps as another defensive tackle from New York City set to play for the orange and blue.
Holley's flip is another coup on the recruiting trail for Will Muschamp and company, who have been on fire despite the expected decommitments of Dalvin Cook and Ermon Lane in the wake of the Gators' 4-8 season in 2013, and he bolsters a strong group of defensive line recruits that already included Khairi Clark and Gerald Willis.
