Dallin Holker Bio
Dallin Holker is an American former professional football tight end who spent one season in the National Football League (NFL) with the New Orleans Saints. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 240 pounds, Holker signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in April 2024 and appeared in twelve games as a rookie. He is best remembered for his breakout 2023 season at Colorado State University, where he finished as one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top college tight end. Holker announced his retirement from professional football in July 2025.
Born and raised in Utah, Holker built his reputation as a reliable pass-catching tight end through a college career split between Brigham Young University and Colorado State. His combination of size, route-running polish, and red-zone production earned him second-team All-American honors in 2023.
Early Life and Background
Dallin Holker was born on April 7, 2000, in Lehi, Utah, where he grew up and attended Lehi High School. During his senior season, he emerged as one of the most productive high school receivers in the state, hauling in 97 receptions for 1,766 yards and 22 touchdowns. His dominant year earned him the Deseret News 5A MVP award, signaling his status as a priority college recruit.
Coming from a community with deep football roots, Holker developed his fundamentals in the same Utah high school pipeline that has produced numerous FBS-level skill players. His frame and hands translated easily from the high school level to the college game, and his recruitment drew attention from several programs before he committed to play for the BYU Cougars.
Path to American Football
Holker’s journey to the NFL began in earnest when he joined the BYU Cougars in 2018. As a true freshman, he played in twelve games and recorded 19 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown, showing enough promise to project as a future contributor in the passing game.
Following his freshman year, Holker took a two-year break from football to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Viña del Mar, Chile. He returned to BYU in 2021 and played thirteen games, finishing with 14 receptions for 200 yards and a touchdown. After a limited start to the 2022 season in which he appeared in only three games, Holker entered the transfer portal and announced in December 2022 that he would finish his college career at Colorado State University.
Dallin Holker Career
Early Career (2018–2022)
Holker’s early career arc was shaped as much by personal choices as it was by on-field development. His freshman campaign at BYU in 2018 gave him his first taste of FBS football, and he showed the kind of receiving polish that coaches expect from a developmental tight end.
After two years away from the field on his mission in Chile, Holker returned to BYU for the 2021 season and continued to build his résumé. When his role at BYU grew thin early in 2022, he made the decision to transfer, eventually landing at Colorado State for the 2023 season.
Colorado State Breakthrough (2023)
Holker’s lone season at Colorado State transformed his professional outlook. He quickly became the starting tight end in Fort Collins and emerged as one of the most productive pass-catchers at his position in the country. His dominant 2023 campaign earned him first-team All-Mountain West honors and second-team All-American recognition.
The pinnacle of his college season came when he was named one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s premier tight end. That finalist status, combined with his consistent production, positioned him as a legitimate NFL prospect heading into the 2024 draft cycle.
New Orleans Saints Era (2024–2025)
Holker signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2024. Despite going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, he impressed throughout training camp and became one of four Saints undrafted rookies to make the team’s initial 53-man roster.
During his rookie season, Holker appeared in twelve games with two starts for New Orleans, recording three catches for 21 yards as a rotational tight end. He also heard his name called in the 2024 UFL draft, where the Birmingham Stallions selected him in the fifth round on July 17, 2024. On July 22, 2025, Holker announced his retirement from the NFL via Instagram, closing out a brief but accomplished professional career.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the field, Holker profiles as a pass-catching tight end with the size and frame to handle inline duties while offering reliable hands as a receiver. His college production suggests a strong feel for zone coverage and a knack for finding soft spots in the red zone, traits that fit modern offenses that lean on tight ends in the passing game.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Holker’s career are his Deseret News 5A MVP award in high school, his 2023 Mackey Award finalist appearance at Colorado State, and his status as one of just four Saints undrafted free agents to make the initial 53-man roster in 2024. His July 2025 retirement announcement marked the official end of his professional playing career.
Dallin Holker Career Wins
Holker did not accumulate traditional win totals as an individual player at the NFL level, but his career is marked by a series of competitive achievements across high school, college, and the professional ranks.
College Highlights
Holker’s college résumé includes first-team All-Mountain West and second-team All-American honors from the 2023 season, both earned during his lone year at Colorado State. His finalist status for the Mackey Award that same year placed him among the top three tight ends in all of college football.
Other Wins & Performances
Before his college breakthrough, Holker was named the Deseret News 5A MVP as a senior at Lehi High School after a season that featured 97 receptions for 1,766 yards and 22 touchdowns. His ability to make the Saints’ initial 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie stands as another signature performance in his career.
Dallin Holker Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public details about Holker’s immediate family are limited. He grew up in Lehi, Utah, and his upbringing in that community played a central role in shaping his path to college football and eventually the NFL.
Personal Life
Holker is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a two-year mission for the church in Viña del Mar, Chile, between his freshman and junior seasons at BYU. He has largely kept his personal and family life private, focusing public attention on his athletic career.
2025 Season Performance
Holker did not play in the NFL during the 2025 season, as he announced his retirement from professional football on July 22, 2025, via Instagram. His one season of NFL action came in 2024 with the New Orleans Saints, where he appeared in twelve games with two starts and posted three receptions for 21 yards as an undrafted rookie tight end.
Although his professional career proved brief, Holker’s 2023 college campaign at Colorado State remains the centerpiece of his football legacy. He finished the year as one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, earned first-team All-Mountain West recognition, and was named a second-team All-American, all of which helped him secure an NFL opportunity as an undrafted free agent.
Holker’s transition away from the game at age 25 closes a chapter that began with a record-setting senior season at Lehi High School and included stops at BYU and Colorado State. While he steps away from active competition, his 2023 résumé ensures his name remains part of any conversation about standout tight ends from his draft class.