Sky's the limit for Bingham's football star

SOUTH JORDAN — Bingham tight end Austin Holt came home recently and noticed his father had left a news article on the table.

Holt picked up the story, which was one publication's list of the top prep football underclassmen in the country, thumbed through it, and noticed his mug staring back at him.

It was pretty surreal.

"My picture was there — I didn't know what to do," said Holt, laughing.

The junior tight end's stock has soared since last winter. After a pair of superb showings at two prestigious combines, his name has been bantered about as one of the potential top nationwide prospects of 2008. BYU and Utah have already offered him, and — for now — the sky feels like the limit for the 6-foot-5, 220-pound star.

He's been trying to take it all in stride.

"It's fun to look at it," Holt said of the prognostications, "but it doesn't really matter until you get on the football field."

Ah, the football field. After catching six passes and one touchdown as a sophomore, Holt hopes to become a big part of the Miners' offense in 2006.

He began the year in style. He made a highlight-reel touchdown grab during the Miners' season-opening win over Alta, hauling in a 14-yard TD pass with outstretched arms in heavy traffic. Second-ranked Bingham will hope for a similar grab — or two — when it travels to No. 3 Fremont tonight.

Holt's stock began its meteoric rise when he attended the U.S. Army All-American Combine in San Antonio, Texas, last January. He was the youngest tight end at the event, which drew top players from throughout the country, yet he wowed the combine with his ability.

Next up was the Scout.com Combine in Los Angeles. Again, Holt was among the younger players of the entire combine, and, again, he was one of the top performers. Holt was named to the All-Combine team there.

For what it's worth, some scouts are saying he could wind up being the top tight end of the West in the class of 2008. He said he'll likely make a decision about his collegiate future after the current high school season ends.

That's his focus for now — helping Bingham try to get over the hump.

Interestingly, Holt has been close friends with Bingham coach Dave Peck's son, Justin, for a long time.

"They're about best friends," Peck said. "I've coached him in basketball for three or four years. I've coached him in baseball...So I've gotten to know him and his family real well. He's just a great kid."

Because of that relationship, Peck has figured out how to get the best from his tight end.

"He's the type of kid that you've got to pull the strings on a little bit," said Peck. "There's times if something's not going exactly right that he has that ornery streak. He's got a perfect mentality for football.

"In basketball, sometimes I had to say, 'Austin, back off. You can't have five fouls in a quarter.' But for football, it works out pretty well. 'Yeah, you know what? Go hit him. Next time when you don't like that, go hit him.' Which is the beauty of football."

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E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com