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Talented OL Recruited By Teammates

Big Joel Holler is hard to push around – but right now he’s being pulled in a lot of directions.
Everyone seems to want a piece of the Lancaster (Pa.) J.P. McCaskey offensive tackle, including the nine schools that have already offered Holler and his high school teammates who’ve been urging him to follow them to college.
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“Our running back, who’s going to Delaware, wants me to go there,” said Holler. “Our wide receiver, who chose Maryland, keeps saying Terps. And our quarterback, who’s going to Syracuse, is saying Syracuse.
“Things are getting crazy,” Holler added.
However, despite the pleas from Niquan Lee (Delaware), Danny Melendez (Maryland) and Perry Patterson (Syracuse), Holler has managed to keep things in perspective. He’s taking a patient, disciplined approach to the recruiting process and doesn’t intend, he says, to let others sway his decision.
“About the middle of June, I’m going to narrow my choices,” he said.
Holler, who measures 6-foot-6, 336 pounds, has received offers from Penn State, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Duke, Connecticut, Ohio State, Michigan State, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati. “And there’s more to come,” he said.
After school ends in early June, Holler said he’s going to make unofficial visits to Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
“Michigan State has been showing a lot of interest in me,” Holler said. “Their quarterback, Jeff Smoker (who attended a high school near Holler’s), has been around and talked to me a few times.”
Holler hopes to narrow his list of schools to about 10 sometime in June. But, he added, he probably won’t make a decision until after taking his official visits during the fall and winter.
“My parents say it’s my choice (on where he attends college),” Holler said. “They want to be able to see me play, but location really isn’t a factor.”
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