First offer for NJ junior

Junior Garrett Dickerson of Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic has been receiving a majority of the early recruiting interest along the defensive line for the Crusaders, but now classmate Kurt Holuba has joined the race with his first offer.

"Recruiting has certainly been picking up as the season has progressed," said Holuba, who is 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. "I'm honored and flattered by the recognition I have received so far."

That recognition includes his first offer from Rutgers.

"I was very excited to get the Rutgers offer because they have an excellent program," he said. "A few other schools have been contacting me too. This is a really exciting time for me."

While Holuba declined to name any other specific schools at this time, it is believed that Penn State, Connecticut, Syracuse and Pittsburgh are just some of the schools that have picked up their level of interest during the fall.

While he has yet to take any visits for himself this fall, Holuba is no stranger to the college scene.

"My oldest sister went to Princeton and law school at North Carolina, my oldest brother played linebacker at Princeton and went to Georgetown for business school, my other sister played lacrosse at Virginia, and my other brother is a senior center at Harvard," said Holuba. "I look forward to seeing even more campuses and getting familiar with different programs."

Holuba also has impressive connections to Penn State. His father, Robert, played for the Nittany Lions while Holuba Hall in Happy Valley is named after his grandfather, Stanley Holuba.

On the field, the New Jersey high school season has been tossed upside down since Hurricane Sandy, but with the playoffs starting this coming weekend, everyone is once again focusing on the final prize.

"We just found out that we are playing Notre Dame in the first round of the playoffs," said Holuba. "The season hasn't exactly gone as planned, but now we have a chance to prove that we are the team to beat in New Jersey."

Holuba realizes that he will play a big role in his teams potential run to a state championship.

"I've learned a lot about myself and what I'm capable of, but like I said before these next few weeks are what matters most and I'm going to give it my all," he said. "I think everything has been improving, but I think my pass rush in particular has been great. I really pride myself on doing anything I can to get to the quarterback."