General Info

5'10", 216 lbs. 23 years old
Georgia Tech

Hollings was a supplemental draft pick in 2003 for the Texans. His stats for 2003 were less than impressive (38 carries, 2.7 YPC), and Domanick Davis stole the show for Houston last year. This year Hollings begins as the #2 back behind Davis, but word is that he may split time. The rumors are causing him to creep up in redraft leagues.

Mike Anderson's Thoughts

2004 Outlook

Going into 2004, this team belongs to RB Domanick Davis. It's far from set in stone that team will still be Davis' as the 2004 comes to a close. Davis started the season behind RB Stacy Mack, not only taking over in the final 10 weeks, but also making Mack obsolete. His combination of speed and strength made him an immediate impact player. Although Davis had a good season last year with 238 carries, 1.031 rushing yards, 4.3 average yards per carry, and 8 rushing TDs, he also displayed some injury concerns.

The Houston ball control offense creates a lot of hits and pounding on it's running backs. Currently, Davis is nursing an ankle injury, and not participating in preseason games. Davis suffered a nagging injury to his thigh and had to split time with backup RB Tony Hollings for a couple of weeks. At the time, Hollings was still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in September of 2002, and was not able to unseat Davis. It is widely recognized that it takes 12-18 months to return from an ACL tear.

Hollings was a supplemental draft pick that the Texans are very high on. Prior to his injury, Hollings was routinely clocked in the sub 4.5 range. At 5'10, 218 lbs, Hollings is virtually a Davis clone that could have better speed if he returns to pre injury form.

Davis will start the season as the primary ball carrier on the Texans. Poor play, or an injury that has him sit will open the door for Hollings, who might never look back. Hollings is every bit as talented, virtually the same size in every respect, and quite possibly faster.

As it is Davis' job to lose, assume that he knows Hollings is looking over his shoulder, and will do everything in his power to keep Hollings off the field. Expect a meager statistical season from Hollings, maybe 75 carries, 300 yards, and a couple of scores. Hollings has a huge upside, and should he get on the field as a starter, expect something more like 225 carries, 1,000 yards rushing and 6-8 TDs.

2007 Outlook

Both Davis and Hollings can't exist together on the Texans long term. One of them will be traded at some point to test his abilities as a starter with another team. I suspect that it will be Davis that goes, and Hollings that remains the Texan's starter based on his speed with everything else being equal. Davis is also a greater risk of injury, and has been nagged by then for most of his career.

Should Hollings be the primary ball carrier in 2007, expect seasons more in line with 300 carries, 1,200 rushing yards, and 10 TDs. This would make him a annual top 10 running back in the league, and a late 1st round draft pick.

Final Thoughts

There is a war coming in Texas within the next two seasons, Davis and Hollings can't both flourish on the same team. The winner is going to be a guaranteed top 10 back, with 1,200 yards and 10 TDs a season. The loser might actually put up better numbers with a different team, but it's unlikely. Given their histories, as long as Hollings comes back from the ACL tear at full strength, expect him to win this war.

Chris Smith's Thoughts

2004 OUTLOOK

Last year as a rookie, Tony Hollings was just happy to step onto the football field for some repetitions. There were no guarantees a year ago that he would be healthy enough to even carry the ball once but he managed to get his feet wet with 38 carries on the year. However his quick burst and acceleration were clearly missing from his game and he was a shell of the player who was dominating the college football scene in 2002 before suffering his knee injury.

The problem with Hollings is his lack of experience as a running back at any level. He was converted to running back at Georgia Tech after beginning his career on defense. He was unstoppable at the start of the 2002 season, rushing for 633 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns in only four games before suffering his knee injury. However those four outings were against less than impressive defenses and the jury is still out on him in regards to his ability on the football field.

Flash forward to this year and Hollings looks like a completely different player. He is quicker, stronger and more confident with the ball in his hands and he looks like he could make a larger impact this season.

Here are a couple of blurbs from him during minicamp this season...

May 28, 2004, 19:30
Texans - RB Hollings Looking To Breakout
Carter Toole, HoustonTexans.com

RB Tony Hollings has been impressive this week, showing good vision and speed around the corner, as well as some receiving ability. He can trace that to the comfort he finally feels with the knee. "It feels a whole lot better," Hollings said. "I think right now I can play a full game without my knee giving me trouble. My reaction is getting down to the point where I'm not worried about my knee."

---

May 20, 2004, 20:10
Texans - The Apprentice - RB Hollings
Carter Toole, HoustonTexans.com

RB Tony Hollings, whom the Texans snagged in last year's supplemental draft (giving up a second-round pick acquired from Oakland), had what amounted to a redshirt season in 2003. He did play in 14 games, but only carried the ball 38 times, the bulk of those in one start at Jacksonville. But to the Texans, and in a lesser sense to Hollings, all of that was gravy.

No matter how much better he looks at this point of the preseason though he has one giant roadblock in his way that will stop him from being an impact player in 2004 barring injury. That roadblock goes by the name of Domanick Davis who exploded onto the scene as a rookie last year with the Texans. At best in 2004, Hollings may earn up to ten carries per game in spelling Davis throughout the season. However if an injury strikes down Davis, Hollings could certainly surprise with a strong campaign this year. His great size and quickness could help him put up nice numbers if he gets the opportunity. I have him down for 130 carries, 530 rushing yards, 11 receptions and 4 touchdowns this year.

2007 OUTLOOK

Do I believe Tony Hollings has the ability to become a good running back at the NFL level?

The answer to that question is yes.

Is it a certainty that Hollings will become that type of player over the next few seasons?

The answer to that question is no.

Hollings definitely has the athletic prowess, size and quickness necessary to become a centerpiece to a rushing attack. His size at 5'10 and 216 pounds is perfect for a running back in the NFL and he displayed a wonderful nose for the endzone at the collegiate level.

What we don't know at this point in regards to Hollings is his durability. Can he stay healthy enough to become a dependable 20+ carry per game running back for a team in the NFL? Nobody, including Hollings knows the answer to that question yet. Other running backs such as Terrell Davis have overcome injury woes in college to become impact players in the NFL but it is too early to tell whether he can fit that bill or not.

If I have a deep roster in a dynasty league, I would be more than willing to hold onto Hollings for the next year or two to see how he develops. He could become a 1000-yard per season player or he could be a forgotten man by 2007. Only time will tell.

Final Thoughts

While the jury is still out on Tony Hollings, his athleticism, size and ability make him a tantalizing prospect in a dynasty league. If you can get him cheaply enough, he may be a good option to keep on your roster to see how he develops. The news thus far out of the Texan's minicamps have been extremely encouraging and he may only need an opportunity to become the impact player the team envisioned when they took him in the 2003 supplemental draft.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

To view the Entire Message Board Thread, Click here.

WinningisEverything:
Tony Hollings is a very talented back that the Texans gave up a second round pick for. Hollings still was going through rehab on his knee when the season started, and Stacey Mack limped out the gate. This opened the door for Holling's biggest obstacle: Domanick Davis. Davis took the reigns and never looked back

Bloom:
Two years removed from ACL surgery, the Texans will get to see exactly what they got for their 2nd round pick. Hollings talent/potential is unquestioned - but no one has seen what he can do at full speed. against NFL competition. There's no reason to think Davis was a fluke, so I don't see how Hollings came become the feature back without an injury to Davis still, unless his college performance that left NFL scouts drooling was a mirage, he will give the Texans a reason to play him. Seeing as they are a running game/defense heavy team, Hollings could get 10-15 touches and red zone chances - certainly enough to merit a bye week/emergency starter, and like all backups, you could hit the jackpot if the starter gets hurt. Still most likely a non-factor

Biabreakable:
I think Hollings is worth rostering in a deep league. However I am not very optimistic about him at all. I think there is a reason why he was not used at RB before. RBs are a special breed and very instinctive players. I would think a coach would have saw that and at least tried Hollings at RB before these 4 games he was used there. It makes me wonder what the other circumstances were that led to Hollings being moved to RB??