Boise State numerical roster countdown 2015: Day 85, Holden Huff

We're in the 80s, so that means receivers and tight ends. Or, in this case, a receiving tight end.

We've got 85 days until kickoff...so today we'll be taking a look at number 85 on the Bronco roster—Holden Huff

#85 Holden Huff, Senior, Tight End

Stats

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 222 lbs.

High School: Rocklin High School, Rocklin, CA

How'd he get to The Blue?

Huff was a late addition to the Broncos' 2010 recruiting class, verballing on the dotted line just days before official LOI Day. Huff hails from ex-Bronco Chase Baker's alma mater—Rocklin—and was first-team all-conference and all-section in 2009 as well as Conference Playmaker of the Year after setting Rocklin records in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and, presumably, awards. Oh, and he can also jump high...clearing the bar at 6 feet 2 inches while competing for Rocklin. Huff grayshirted in 2010 and followed with a redshirt in 2011.

Nickname

"Ontite"

Because puns.

Look-a-like

JT

Career highlights

Caught 10 passes for 128 yards in 2014, including two important grabs in the MWC title game. Played in all 13 games for the Broncos in 2012, with five starts. Caught Helped lead Rocklin HS to a Sierra Football League Championship, as well as a Sac-Joaquin Section title. Career receiving yards leader at Rocklin (1,664).

2015 prospectus

Huff has had an up and down Bronco career. In 2012, as a redshirt freshman, he had a real breakout (17 rec, 250 yards, 4 TDs) and looked poised to continue his ascent as a pass-catchin', touchdown grabbin' matchup nightmare for opposing DBs. But then, as a sophomore, Huff was hampered by injuries and an offensive scheme that criminally underused the TE unit (long a staple of the Bronco offense)—his receptions shrunk from 17 down to a measly 6 and his YPC dropped from a healthy 14.7 to just 5.3. People really started to wonder if the tight end group would ever again be an integral part of the Broncos' kitchen sink offense. Bryan Harsin's return last season, and Mike Sanford's non-Robert Princeness brought the tight ends back into the fold in a big way—the unit that had been marginalized for two seasons were again catching passes and becoming a regular sight in BSU's patented pre-snap sleight-of-hand.

Huff rebounded and saw his grabs nearly double from the previous season, and his YPC average rose back up to a respectable 12.8. The only setback for Huff last season was that RS freshman Jake Roh took over as the go-to receiving tight end...more than tripling the amount of touches Huff reined in and almost quadrupling the yardage. Of course, this is a net positive for the Bronco offense as we've now established multiple dependable receiving targets among the stacked TE group and we're sure to add more this Fall. Since Huff's trajectory is hard to map, I'm just going to say I think he puts up respectable numbers in this, his last season and comes up big in a few games where you might not expect him to. Boise State's WR corps is stacked (also) this season and several are bound to draw the attention of defenses...this is where a strong and versatile tight end unit can sneak in and grab some key first downs and TDs (well as "sneaky" as 6'6" guys can be, anyway). Huff should be poised to take advantage of these defensive lapses. Here's to a big senior year!

Is he on Twitter?

I think not.

Completely NOT made up fact

Holden spent time in Japan last month in part because of  Boise State's unlikely football partnership with Hosei University...and also because he grew up watching Dragon Ball Z. Huff enjoyed his visit so much that he's on the fence about whether his future lies in the NFL or the land of the rising sun. Domo arigato.