ESPN College Football

Missouri added the 20th member of its 2012 recruiting class in tight end Brandon Holifield of Tallahassee, Fla., coach Gary Pinkel announced Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Holifield is a three-star prospect from Godby High School, where he played just one year of high school football, and that year was limited because of a groin injury. He was also a standout in both basketball and track.

While Holifield will join the Tigers as a tight end, he proved during his one year at the high school level that he has some versatility in his game -- his kicking game. He handled kickoffs and punts, including having a long punt of 60 yards and consistently sending kickoffs into the end zone.

Holifield is also the starting power forward on Godby’s basketball team, which has been ranked No. 1 in the state for most of the season, and he has previously placed third in the state in the high jump. He has a personal best mark of 6 feet 11 inches.

Holifield picked Missouri over Miami and Rutgers. He also had interest in fellow SEC member Vanderbilt.

Adding some size and athleticism to the offense was definitely a plus for the Tigers, but also stretching into the state of Florida again should help Mizzou's staff in that part of the country in the future. Holifield became the second Missouri signee to come from Florida and while it might not seem like much at first glance, now that the Tigers are in the SEC, the coaches will have to dip into the southeast, especially Florida, more often now.

Texas will continue to be a major priority, but Mizzou's coaches can't forget about the cornucopia of talent residing in the southeast that must be tapped in this league. The more often these coaches can grab a prospect or two from this area, the better.

Here's a little of Holifield's scouting report from ESPN recruiting services:

"A raw talent, Holifield possesses the measurables and skill-set to develop over time at the tight end position in college. Has the athleticism to split out at WR and use his leaping ability to out jump smaller DB's. A potential red zone or underneath threat at the next level. Is a tall but lean prospect who has the length to add bulk. Has a long wingspan. Possesses long limbs and is deceptively quick and athletic for a guy his size. Has good speed with a long stride but needs to build up momentum to get to his top speed. Is quick off the line, eating up cushion fast. Has good hands, can extend well above his head to reel in a pass. Excels at high pointing the jump ball. Is raw in his route running, lacks intermediate running sharpness."