Not sure what injuries have to do with barely used... and it was two.. Knee.. with a set backs... in the same injury..COLLEGE same year, a hamstring sprain in the NFL this year... no surgeries...
He ran for over 1000 yards as a freshman and almost 1200 yards on 220 carries in his second to last year... then another 750 in his last with another 200 yards in receiving and still balled out in the bowl game with a sprain.
This was what that guy at the Athletic wrote about him in his draft profile
From The Beast:
STRENGTHS: Modest build but runs stronger and more violent than he looks … sees the field well, pre- and post-snap … anticipates blocking and pursuit angles, and he adjusts his footwork to press the hole and cut accordingly … decisive short-area burst once the lane develops, allowing him to patch together multiple moves … has a knack for avoiding or stepping out of tackle attempts because of his acceleration … runs with a determination for the sticks … dependable hands in the screen game … six fumbles in his career, but none in 2023 … outstanding mental and physical toughness — seems to get better with lather to grind out yards late in games … averaged 7.5 yards per punt return (12/90/0) … his coaches and teammates unanimously praise his drive and unselfish nature.
WEAKNESSES: Runs with physicality but creates average knee churn and will struggle to power through congestion (NFL scout: “I really thought he would be bigger in person.”) … not a twitchy start-stop runner that will make NFL linebackers miss in the hole … looks great in pass pro on some tapes (vs. Washington in 2023), but shaky on others (vs. Fresno State) … battled several injuries over the last four seasons: strained leg muscle in the 2023 opener that forced him to miss the next six games; missed three games (and parts of others) as he fought through a hamstring injury during the 2021 season; missed four games and eventually took a redshirt for 2020 after he was sidelined with a torn left MCL … limited special-teams resume, aside from punt returns … will turn 25 years old late in his rookie season.
SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Boise State, Holani was part of the backfield mix in former offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan’s multiple -run scheme. (Hamdan was one of five different offensive coordinators Holani had during his college career). After a breakout freshman season, Holani battled multiple injuries over the last four years, but he was consistently productive when available and finished his career No. 5 all-time in rushing yards at Boise State (just behind Jay Ajayi). As one might expect given his rugby background, Holani runs with physicality, patience and a great feel for run angles to give tacklers the slip and consistently maximize what is in front of him. Though toughness is his calling card, NFL scouts say he might be too tough for his own good and that he’ll need to be protected from himself to keep his name off the injury report.
Overall, Holani isn’t super twitchy, and his injury history might be an issue, but he has outstanding reactive instincts and a well-rounded skill set that NFL coaches will trust in any situation. He can be a depth piece on an NFL roster.
