Speed of Texas CB Gavin Holmes makes him an intriguing UDFA

The speedy corner will have the opportunity to earn an NFL roster spot.

Texas Longhorns redshirt senior cornerback Gavin Holmes is ready to take his shot at the next level with the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Over five years in college between the Longhorns and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Holmes proved that he possesses NFL-level athleticism that gives him an outside chance to hear his name called in Green Bay.

Holmes hails from Metairie, Louisiana. As a consensus three-star prospect ranked as the No. 1,278 player nationally and the No. 112 cornerback, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Holmes signed with Wake Forest in the 2020 recruiting class after also taking official visits to UTSA and Washington, the latter of which did not extend an offer. Colorado was the only other then-Power Five school to offer the 5’11, 185-pounder despite impressive verified testing numbers at a regional camp for The Opening in 2019 — a 4.52 40-yard dash and a 37-inch vertical.

Holmes went on to spend three seasons at Wake Forest, one of which he redshirted. He played in 28 games with 14 starts. In 2020, Holmes appeared in three games with one start, finishing the season with three tackles and an interception. As a redshirt freshman, Holmes played in 13 games with 19 tackles, three tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one interception, and one forced fumble. In 11 games in 2022, Holmes recorded 23 tackles and nine pass breakups.

After the 2022 season, Holmes entered the portal and landed at Texas, which needed experienced depth at the cornerback position after the departure of D’Shawn Jamison.

The portal recruitment for Holmes looked much different than his high school recruitment as he reported offers from Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Tulane, Houston, Memphis, Kansas, Ole Miss, Washington, Baylor, West Virginia, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Penn State, and Cincinnati, putting him quickly in demand from a handful of Power Five programs.

Holmes appeared in all 30 games over the last two seasons with the Longhorns, primarily providing depth and helping in pass-heavy scenarios. Although he was not a full-time contributor with a little over 600 snaps in two seasons, Holmes had the skills and physical attributes to step in at a moment’s notice. Over his career, Holmes has recorded 65 tackles, two interceptions and 14 pass breakups along with a touchdown.

Holmes is someone that feels comfortable on an island. He is versatile and can play off coverage or match up in man, thanks to his speed. He transferred to Texas as a boundary corner but has also split time at the field side position as well.

While Holmes didn’t see as much action on the field as anticipated, the relative lack of playing time can largely be tied to the rise of the Texas secondary, including the most recent group being the best in the country. Holmes was the first man up behind Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron.

Despite a crowded position room, Holmes still flashed NFL-ready athleticism that gives him the potential to realize his NFL dreams.

Holmes draft stock was trending up after a strong Pro Day showing where he received a RAS grade of 7.81, a strong score. His 4.45 40 is excellent while his 39-inch vertical and 10’9” broad jump are both exceptional. Some times for Holmes were even better — as high as 4.38 in his 40. Holmes has the speed and explosiveness that NFL coaches crave.

Holmes’ size and agility are the two biggest obstacles he faces. Measuring 5’11” and 178 pounds, Holmes will need to add to his frame without compromising speed if he hopes to compete with the physicality of NFL wide outs. At the Texas Pro Day, his shuttle and three-cone drills were each discouraging as well.

With verified top end speed and explosiveness, Holmes has the potential to join an NFL team and have a professional football career even though he’s position-limited to playing off coverage to the boundary.