Altadena Resident Karl Holmes Jr. Talks About His Plans to Play Football at Arizona State

Muir senior wide receive Karl Holmes Jr. was all set to sign with Sacramento State University on Feb. 2, college football's National Signing Day. But when the Hornets told Holmes that he'd have to grayshirt, which would have had him enrolling next January after a season at Pasadena Community College, Holmes suddenly had second thoughts.

With the encouragement of Muir head coach Ken Howard, offensive coordinator Antoine Sims and his uncle, Darick Holmes, Holmes decided to wait and see if any other schools came calling.

"I knew that this kid had major talent and if he’d just be patient better things would come to him," Sims said. "The thing about it is on Signing Day, everybody thinks Signing Day is the last day (to sign) — it’s the first day.”

As it turns out, Holmes bold strategy paid off in a big way.

A week after signing day, Sims gave Holmes a call and told him that Arizona State was interested and to fax his transcripts over to the school. Ten minutes later, Holmes was contacted by the coaching staff at Arizona State.

Holmes spoke on the phone for roughly 30 minutes with ASU head coach Dennis Erickson and assistant coaches Greg Burns, Jamie Christian and Steve Broussard, who invited him to Tempe, Ariz., for an official visit. They also told him to let every other coach know he'll be donning maroon and gold.

And a couple of weeks later, Holmes officially became a Sun Devil. Holmes, who led the Mustangs with six touchdown receptions this season and earned first team All-Pacific league honors, signed a letter of intent Feb. 25 during his official visit. Holmes, his family, the Muir football team and school administrators held a signing celebration Monday at the John Muir High library.

"They basically said 'Welcome to the ASU family, we can’t believe that you’re still out there,' " Holmes said of his initial conversation with Erickson. "(Erickson) was like, 'We found a diamond in the rough, and tell all the other colleges that you’re going to be a Sun Devil.' ”

Arizona State discovered Holmes after viewing his highlight reel on YouTube — a 9-minute video Sims made to help Holmes' recruitment.

“Arizona State called and was like, 'Who is this kid? We’ve got to have this kid, give us his number,' " Sims said.

And on Holmes' trip to Tempe, it was quickly evident that Erickson, who won national championships as head coach at the University of Miami in 1989 and 1991, felt that Holmes was a player with a tremendous upside.

"Coach Erickson said even the earlier recruits, they have nothing on Karl. (He said) 'Compared to the earlier recruits … you will just blow them out the water. We’re glad that we found you.' ” Holmes' mother, Wanda Martin, said.

But despite all of Arizona State's enthusiasm, Holmes hesitated to sign at first when the Sun Devils offered him a scholarship. It wasn't because Holmes didn't want to attend ASU, but ever since he decided to put off committing to Sacramento State, the Muir coaching staff had been adamant that there was no rush to sign with a school. Holmes just assumed that strategy applied to a program like Arizona State, as well.

“In previous times we told him, 'We’re not signing we’re waiting,' " Howard said. "(Burns) called down and said 'I’m sitting here with Karl and we’re offering him, but he won’t sign coach.' So I said, 'Put him on the phone right now.' "

Howard initially thought it was all an elaborate practical joke, but when he heard Holmes' voice, he told his senior receiver to sign on the spot.

"(I said), 'Boy, if you don’t sign that paper — quit playing. Yes you’re allowed to sign right now,' " Howard said.

Holmes said that in addition to the program's facilities and family atmosphere, the school's offensive system made it an easy choice.

"They run the spread," he said last week. "They sling the ball, no huddle.”

Arizona State finished the 2010 regular season with the No. 15 passing offense in the nation. The Sun Devils threw for 3,437 total yards, and eight different receivers caught at least 20 passes.

“That’s what I like," Holmes said. "We didn’t do it at Muir. But that’s a system I’d like to be under. I’m sure any receiver would like to be in that system.”

Holmes said that he's already stocked up on Sun Devils swag: a hat, two beanies, a t-shirt and two sweaters. He ordered some ASU socks to wear during track season and will also order custom ASU spikes.

Holmes, who earned a 3.0 GPA last semester, plans to enroll in summer school, and he'll head to Tempe the second week in July.

Holmes initially thought about redshirting his first season at Arizona State, but he said Erickson told him he could contribute as a freshman. Erickson also told Holmes that he has the potential to be better than more heralded recruits like USC's George Farmer and Robert Woods, who were both graded as five-star prospects.

“It was amazing for me to here that coming from him," Martin said.

While Holmes said it was great to hear such lofty praise coming from a coach like Erickson, he knows he has a lot of work to do once he reports to camp.

"Talk is talk," he said. "I gotta get in there, I gotta work hard. I’ve seen what I’m able to do, and I feel like I can accomplish it."