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Justin Holt (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
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Justin Holt. (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
After participating early today in Arizona’s Junior Elite Day, Class of 2016 Salpointe Catholic defensive tackle Justin Holt will board a plane bound for Los Angeles and take part in the Nike Football Opening Regionals tomorrow.
The half-day educational event in Los Angeles will help prospects such as Holt — and Salpointe teammate Teauntae Nash, a defensive back — learn how to train to become better athletes and players. Players will also test for a Nike Football Rating, formerly known as the SPARQ Rating.
Tests include the vertical jump, 40-yard dash, powerball toss and agility shuffle.
The event will take place at Redondo (Calif.) Union High School.
Arizona’s Junior Elite Day allows Rich Rodriguez to show off the Wildcats’ facilities to a top group of juniors regionally. The players tour the campus and meet with coaches and potential future teammates.
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Site founder and award-winning sports journalist Javier Morales has published his first e-book, “The Highest Form of Living”, a fiction piece about a young man who overcomes a troubled upbringing without his lost father and wayward mother through basketball and hope. His hope is realized through the sport he loves. Basketball enables him to get past his fears. His experience on the court indirectly brings him closer to his parents in a unique, heartfelt way. Please order it at Amazon (for only $4.99) by clicking on the photo:
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With Arizona’s spring practice in session, recruits such as Holt can attend a position meeting in which they can observe the interaction of the coaches with players.
It is a valuable time for prospects such as Holt to observe the inner-workings of Rodriguez’s staff, which has mostly remained intact since his hire in 2011.
Former Salpointe players Cam Denson and Kaelin Deboskie took part in Arizona’s Junior Elite Day a couple of years ago, as did running back Nick Wilson.
Holt, son of former Arizona linebacker/defensive tackle Julius Holt, is considering Arizona along with most of the Pac-12 schools. He told me two weeks ago his goal is to gain a few more scholarship offers before making a decision.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
