STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The NFL has added another Tarleton State Texan into the league, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Yasir Holmes, the Bucs announced on Monday.
 
Holmes was one of four tryout players to earn a spot on the Bucs roster following their rookie mini-camp, Tampa Bay announced. He is the 22nd player in Tarleton State Football history to sign into the NFL.
 
Holmes is the fifth Texan over the past four years to sign with an NFL team, joining Darius Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles in 2025), E.J. Speed (Houston Texans in 2025 and Indianapolis Colts in 2023), Benjie Franklin (Seattle Seahawks in 2023, Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers in 2022), and Devin Hafford (New England Patriots in 2022). Since 2018, the Texans have had 10 different players sign with an NFL team; Holmes, Cooper, Franklin, Hafford, Dominique Martin (Green Bay in 2021), Zimari Manning (Denver Broncos in 2020), Speed (also in 2019 with Indianapolis), Tyrell Thompson (Los Angeles Rams in 2019), Xavier Turner (Arizona Cardinals and Seattle in 2019) and Dashaun Phillips (Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018).
 
Holmes played one season at Tarleton State in 2025, a United Athletic Conference Second Team All-Conference selection at linebacker. Holmes totaled 13 tackles for loss, eight sacks, a forced fumble, six quarterback hurries and 47 total tackles in 14 games, leading the team in TFL, the tied-most hurries, second in sacks and tied-third in forced fumbles. He ranked top-50 in the FCS and third in the UAC in sacks per game. After Week 3, Holmes was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week, as he recorded a team-high three tackles for loss, a sack and a team-high seven total tackles in Tarleton State's 56-10 road win in its conference opener at Central Arkansas.
 
Holmes, an Indian Head, Maryland, native, played four years at Frostburg State before arriving in Stephenville.