Monday April 28th, 2025 11:56PM

Holyfield's son to walk on at Auburn

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AUBURN, ALABAMA - Evander Holyfield Jr. doesn&#39;t bring a lot of experience to the Auburn football team he played just six games of football in his high school career but one thing he does have is a good athletic pedigree. <br> <br> The 6-foot-3, 160-pound son of boxing great Evander Holyfield plans to walk on to the Tigers squad this fall, in hopes of one day developing into a star receiver. <br> <br> ``I have a talent for football,&#39;&#39; Holyfield Jr. told The Mobile Register for a Wednesday story. ``I feel that once I learn more about the sport and get somewhere with someone who teaches me, I can be somebody really good.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Holyfield Jr.&#39;s senior season at Landmark Christian High School in Atlanta in 2002 is his only prep varsity experience. Playing in just six games, he caught three touchdown passes from highly touted junior quarterback Alex Mortensen, son of ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen. <br> <br> ``Evander&#39;s problem is he didn&#39;t come out until his senior year, so it was hard to get him into the lineup,&#39;&#39; Chris Mortensen said Tuesday. ``Alex felt like, &#39;God, if he had just been out on the team the year before.&#39;&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Holyfield Jr., 19, is the oldest of Holyfield&#39;s nine children. He transferred to Landmark from a New York prep school to be with his father. Football turned out to be a bonus. <br> <br> ``His senior year, we talked about him playing football, so he did and absolutely fell in love with it,&#39;&#39; said Landmark football coach Kenny Dallas. ``He just needs to play the game. I don&#39;t know if he will ever be able to become a starting wide receiver for Auburn, but over the next five years he is there, I wouldn&#39;t be surprised if he would reach that point. He has all the potential in the world.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The younger Holyfield has hired a personal trainer to help get him ready for the upcoming season and make up for lost time. <br> <br> He could bring more than raw athletic ability to the Tigers. <br> <br> Alex Mortensen made an unofficial visit to Auburn Wednesday, and a connection to his former receiver could be an edge for the Tigers in what figures to be an intense recruiting battle. <br> <br> Chris Mortensen said Auburn is on his son&#39;s short list, along with LSU, Arkansas and North Carolina State. <br> <br> Alex Mortensen threw for 2,291 yards and 25 touchdowns with just six interceptions as a junior at Landmark last year.
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