Lock Haven, Pa. - Mercyhurst Football's Jacob Holl finished up one of the more prolific defensive seasons for the Lakers all-time this past weekend and that culminated in a major award. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced their conference award winners Wednesday with Holl getting the nod as a member of the All-PSAC West Defensive First Team.
The native of Cranberry Township, Pa. put on a show for the Lakers as a linebacker in 2022 as he led the team in solo tackles, total tackles, tackles for a loss, pass breakups, and fumble recovers while coming in second in assisted tackles, sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles. His handprints were all over the game each and every week for the Lakers with him accumulating double-digit tackles in all but two games on the year with him recording 10 or more takedowns in each of the final eight games.
Holl wasn't only the stat leader for the team in several categories, but also the conference. His 79 solo tackles registered as the top mark in the PSAC while his 129 total takedowns also came in first in the conference as did his 11.7 tackles per game. His 50 solo tackles came in fourth in the PSAC while his two interceptions were good enough to be tied for third in the conference as were his two fumble recoveries. The graduate student was a force to be reckoned with all season long and he continually showed in a myriad of ways he was one of the better defensive players in all of Pennsylvania. His tackling numbers also proved to be some of the best in the entire country as he finished third in the nation in tackles while his 79 solo tackles were one behind the NCAA DII leader, Grant Buner of Washburn.
The linebacker solidified himself as one of the top tacklers in Mercyhurst's history with his efforts this season and he now finds himself near the top of several season and career categories. His 129 tackles for the 2022 season rank second all-time in Laker history as only Greg Latimer had more in 1987 with 132. His 79 solo tackles also come in second for a single season behind Ben Bluemle's 86 in 2004. For his career, Holl finishes with 265 tackles to put him just outside the top 10 as he sits 13th all-time.
