Catching Up With 2022 UNC Commit Tayon Hollaway
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – THI was at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex on Sunday, March 7 and caught up with class of 2022 North Carolina commit Tayon Holloway.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback had 19 offers from programs across the country before verbally committing to UNC on Christmas Day.
A Virginia Beach, VA, native, the 4-star corner attends Green Run High School and is the No. 3 player in the state of Virginia, No. 9 corner in the country and No. 66 overall player in the 2022 class.
Above is the full video of our interview with Holloway and below is the complete transcript of what he had to say:
THI: You committed to Carolina last Christmas. Can you take us through that process and was it a hard decision for you to make?
HOLLOWAY: “Was it a hard decision? No, I don’t feel like it was a hard decision because (UNC cornerbacks) coach Dré Bly, he just made it feel like home. He just made me feel welcome. Plus, it’s close to home and that was another thing I wanted, to be close to home so my family can see me play.”
THI: How long have you known Dré Bly and what is your relationship like with him?
HOLLOWAY: “I’m not originally from here so, when I first got an offer, that’s when I honestly first started knowing about him to be honest.”
THI: Was there anything else that drew you to Carolina?
HOLLOWAY: “Like I said, they just made me feel like I was welcomed home. And to be honest, at that time, there just wasn’t really any other school that I really wanted to go to.”
THI: You just recently started your high school football season. How does it feel to finally be able to play again?
HOLLOWAY: “It felt good out there. (We) scored on the first play, we were just so excited to be out there.”
THI: What are some of the things you’ve talked with the Carolina coaches about improving when it comes to your game before you get to Chapel Hill?
HOLLOWAY: “Definitely getting stronger, faster, and just learning the overall game more in general.”
THI: What are your thoughts on Carolina’s secondary right now, especially with all the young guys like Tony Grimes, who’s from this area, that are getting opportunities to play early?
HOLLOWAY: “I feel like we can be the best secondary in the country.”
THI: First major bowl appearance since 1950 and an 8-4 overall record, what are your thoughts on how last season went for the Tar Heels?
HOLLOWAY: “I feel like, within the next few years, we’ll compete for a national championship. When all the players start getting their roll and everything starts happening, I feel like we’ll compete for a national championship within the next two years, definitely.”
THI: What’s your relationship like with Mack Brown?
HOLLOWAY: “Our relationship has grown a lot since the first time I talked to him. I’m kind of a shy dude, I don't really like talking, but he really started to make me speak up more and more, stuff like that. So yeah, it's getting better and better every time we speak.”
THI: I know you haven’t been on campus, so how much of a challenge was that during your recruitment process, especially when you’ve committed to a school that you just haven’t been able to see in person yet?
HOLLOWAY: “(It was) kinda (challenging) because, in my head I’m thinking I’m going to go everywhere, visit everywhere, see what I want to do. But it’s the reality, so you’ve just gotta adjust. Zoom, it did the job.”
THI: Do you have any kind of relationship with guys that are currently at UNC?
HOLLOWAY: “Tony (Grimes) of course, Doc (Don Chapman). That’s pretty much it really.”
THI: What did you think of the debut season Grimes had?
HOLLOWAY: “It was lit. I was happy for him.”