Holyfield commits to UGA football's 2016 signing class

September 5, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. | Updated September 4, 2015 at 8:18 p.m.

by David Paschall

Woodward Academy running back Elijah Holyfield, right, the son of five-time boxing champion Evander Holyfield, heads toward the end zone with a touchdown catch during a 2014 game against Eagle's Landing Christian Academy last season. Holyfield, who had a seven-touchdown game last season as a junior, has committed to the University of Georgia. He is rated as a top-five running back nationally by two recruiting sites.
Woodward Academy running back Elijah Holyfield, right, the son of five-time boxing champion Evander Holyfield, heads toward the end zone with a touchdown catch during a 2014 game against Eagle's Landing Christian Academy last season. Holyfield, who had a seven-touchdown game last season as a junior, has committed to the University of Georgia. He is rated as a top-five running back nationally by two recruiting sites.

Elijah Holyfield, the son of former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, committed Friday afternoon to be a part of Georgia's 2016 football signing class.

The younger Holyfield is a 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back from Woodward Academy in the Atlanta suburb of College Park. He is rated the No. 3 running back nationally by Rivals.com and No. 5 by 247Sports.com, with Rivals.com listing him as the No. 99 prospect overall.

Moments after Holyfield announced his decision, first-year Bulldogs offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer posted on Twitter, "Squad '16 is going to be special. This kid runs hard on the field. Who's next?"

Holyfield is Georgia's 17th commitment for the 2016 class and the 13th from within the state. He had dozens of scholarship offers and chose the Bulldogs over Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Friday was not a lost day for Auburn, however, as the Tigers landed defensive lineman Marlon Davidson of Greenville, Ala. The 6-3, 279-pound Davidson is rated by Rivals.com as the nation's No. 1 strongside defensive end and No. 8 prospect overall.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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