Lennox Holmes and Landen Sewell
Lennox Holmes is 12 years old, 6-foot and 240 pounds — and the size is only part of what makes him worth watching.
The Natchez Middle School Class of 2032 lineman comes from a football family. His father, Coach Roderick Holmes, is the head football coach at Jefferson County High School, while his older brother, Landen Sewell, is an offensive lineman at Alcorn State. For a young lineman learning the game, Holmes does not have to look far for guidance.
Sewell believes Lennox already has the physical tools to create problems on either side of the football.
“What goes through my mind is the fact that he has a chance to be disruptive on both sides of the ball just off the size alone,” Sewell said.
Roderick Holmes sees the same physical potential, but his evaluation goes much deeper than the measurements. As a high school head coach, he is focused on whether Lennox can develop the movement, technique and understanding of the game needed when size alone is no longer enough.
“He’s further along physically than his older brother was at the same age,” Holmes said. “What really gets my attention is how he moves for his size. He’s not just a big kid relying on being bigger than everybody else. We’re focused on developing his fundamentals, footwork, technique and athleticism because eventually he’ll face players just as big and strong. If he keeps developing his football IQ, discipline and work ethic, I believe his potential is very high, but I want him to create his own path.”
That is what makes Lennox intriguing this early. The size is obvious, but the movement, technique and overall development are what could eventually separate him.
Sewell offers another important perspective. As a current Alcorn State offensive lineman, he understands what it takes to keep developing as the competition gets bigger, stronger and faster. He also remembers exactly how Lennox compared to him at the same age.
“At 12, I was bigger in size, but he definitely had me in height at that age,” Sewell said.
For Sewell, an even more encouraging sign is the willingness to work.
Lennox Holmes
“I see the willingness to get up and go work out,” Sewell said.
That work ethic is something Sewell wants his younger brother to keep building on, and one lesson in particular has become important.
“What I’ve tried to pass down to him is to have a finisher mentality,” Sewell said.
That message fits naturally in the trenches, where effort, physicality and finishing plays can matter just as much as size.
Sewell also wants Lennox to enjoy being young and avoid getting too far ahead of the process.
“Some advice I gave him is to keep the main thing the main thing and stay a kid as long as you can,” Sewell said.
There is plenty of time for everything that comes later. Right now, Lennox can focus on learning the game, improving his technique and developing the habits that can shape the player he eventually becomes.
Sewell believes his younger brother has the ability to take that development a long way.
“I believe he can be anything he puts his mind to,” Sewell said.
Holmes is only 12, and there is a lot of football ahead of him. Nobody needs to decide what his ceiling is today. What is already clear is that the foundation is there — unusual size, movement, work ethic and a football family that understands how much development still lies ahead.
For Lennox Holmes, being 6-foot and 240 pounds gets your attention. What makes him Trending Up is that he’s already working on becoming more than just the biggest player on the field.
