Freshman hoping to make immediate impact at DT
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Pete Kaligis has not played a true freshman at interior lineman since becoming Wyoming's defensive tackles coach in 2014.
"Obviously, it's a difficult spot, because you've got to have the strength and you've got to have the maturity to handle that inside," Kaligis said. "It's a little bit different. You're banging 600 pounds most of the time, and you've got to do a lot of different things."
Kaligis could be in for a first this season. True freshman Ravontae Holt has impressed in camp so far and has rotated in with the first-team defense.
"I think he can bring something special," head coach Craig Bohl said. "He's still a little bit undersized, but with his size I think he's got some excellent strength, and then along with it, he's got suddenness. He's got good quickness in there. I think that's going to be important.
"... Certainly on the inside, the interior defensive tackle, I think we're going to need to take a hard look at one of those freshmen. We've got three (true freshman) defensive tackles. We'll take a look at all of them. And right now I'd say Ravontae may be a little bit ahead of the other two."
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Holt came in as a two-star recruit out of Sheldon (California) High School, one of four 2017 Wyoming signees from the Sacramento area. Wyoming also signed Javaree Jackson and Gavin Dunayski to play defensive tackle.
"I would say all the freshmen are mature that we've signed," Kaligis told the Casper Star-Tribune (http://bit.ly/2uG0qUt). "But it's (Holt's) strength, it's his want-to, it's his coachability in coaching. He listens to it. So I would say all those aspects (have put him in the rotation)."
Holt didn't know when he committed to Wyoming whether he had a chance of playing as a true freshman.
"They didn't necessarily say that," he said, "but they said I'd be an asset to the program."
But doing so certainly is his goal.
"Yeah, I do want to play this year," he said.
Holt has gotten off to a good start. He has rotated with sophomores Youhanna Ghaifan and Brent Gilliland at the tackle position with the first-team defense.
"That kid, he's very strong, but phew, he's got smarts, too," nose tackle Sidney Malauulu said. "I mean, he picked up this defense (fast). As far as all of them, Javaree, Gavin, they've all picked it up so much faster than me and Conner (Cain) did our freshman year.
"I'm pretty impressed at how they can get these checks and get all the calls down. They know exactly what they're doing when a guard pulls, all that. These guys are phenomenal. But Ravontae specifically is just crazy strong and he pays attention to detail."
Gilliland added: "I know we sit in meeting rooms and kind of laugh about it, where (Holt) is compared to where we were as freshmen. It's giant bounds. He's come in and he's learned his plays. His technique is far ahead of where most freshmen are."
Of course, you've got to have some strength if you're going to go up against Big Ten linemen just one year after facing high school linemen.
"I mean, you think about it, their last game they were probably the biggest (player) on the field, maybe," Malauulu said. "And now you're going against Iowa and those guys. Big kids. They're known for their O-lines, so you can't just throw a true freshman out there unless you know that they're ready to play ball."
"Yeah, it's a big jump," Holt said of facing Wyoming's offensive linemen in practice. "Their footwork's a lot faster (than high school linemen), they're a lot stronger, and it takes a little bit longer to get used to."
Joe Cattolico, Holt's high school coach, said Holt compared favorably to defensive linemen he had coached in the past that went on to play at Pac-12 schools.
"Ravontae has any type of potential he wants to go get," Kaligis said. "It's him deciding to open the door and becoming what he wants to become."
He might just become a part of Wyoming's depth chart.
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com