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'11 CA WR Michael Thomas

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
Rivals
Scout
ESPN

199363.jpg

Taft H.S. (Woodland Hills, CA)

Ht: 6-foot-3
Wt: 180 lbs
40:

Rivals rating: 4*-5.8rr; #36 WR
Scout rating: 3*; #98 WR
ESPN rating: 3*-75 grade; #122 WR

Reported Offers: Colorado, Oregon State, CSU, Houston, Wyoming
 
Greg Biggins' West Recruiting Blog for ESPN:

Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) receiver Michael Thomas received a new offer on Thursday and finally set up his first official visit.

Thomas had a monster senior season and is in line to receive several postseason honors. He finished the year with 82 catches for 1,756 yards and 22 touchdowns and his stock in the eyes of college coaches continues to rise.

"Colorado just offered me," Thomas said. "I'm also hearing a lot from Michigan, UCLA, USC, Nebraska and TCU. I'm definitely excited by the offer from Colorado and will take an official visit there for sure.

"Right now, I have a visit set to Oregon State (Jan. 14) and that's all I have right now. The next time I talk to coach [Darian] Hagan at Colorado, I'll set up my visit there. It's an exciting time for me right now and I'm very excited about how well things are going for me."

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/blog?name=biggins_greg

*************

First known offer from the new staff. :thumbsup:

This is a blog that I highly recommend to people interested in recruiting.
 
Keyshawn Johnson's nephew. Very similar game. Ideal size. Great body control, hands and route running. Able to beat press coverage.

Very late bloomer. Did nothing until his senior year.

[video=youtube;_Zxcx_qv-CM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zxcx_qv-CM[/video]
 
So, after recording no stats as a Junior, Thomas accomplished the following in 12 games as a Senior:

86 catches
1,756 yards
20.26 avg/catch
22 touchdowns
Under-Armor All American

Here are the highlights:

[video=youtube;W4HVIZ277vg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4HVIZ277vg[/video]
 
For both basketball and football, we're building a nice pipeline into Taft. That's a big deal.

And for the record, I really like this prospect. Probably runs in the 4.6/4.7 range. Reminds me of Simas on the field.
 
For both basketball and football, we're building a nice pipeline into Taft. That's a big deal.

And for the record, I really like this prospect. Probably runs in the 4.6/4.7 range. Reminds me of Simas on the field.

good distinction
 
"His hands have always been a strength, and he's a pretty precise route runner. He does a great job of catching the ball at its highest point and can make the tough catch in traffic. His speed is above average, so he's made up for the explosiveness in the crisp route-running and soft hands that catch just about everything." -Brandon Huffman (Scout's recruiting guru for the West)
 
There's something that looks awkward about his ability. I'm trying to chalk it up to him just playing football in his first year but it's more than that. He seems a little stiff in his legs. Not the quickest guy even though he eventually builds to some speed down the field in the videos. At 6'3" 185, he has the frame to get larger and that's almost where I would take his game. He looks like he has great hand eye coordination though and can/will make the tough catch in traffic or with a defender in his face. Can't argue with his production. Very impressive.
 
Our visit isn't set. We need Hagan/ Kennedy/ Embree to get in touch this week and set it up.
 
Thomas is turning heads at the Under Armour All America practices. We need to lock him up.

Under Armour: Monday's Best

WR MICHAEL THOMAS, 6-3/180 WOODLAND HILLS (CALIF.) TAFT
Thomas was the master of the acrobatic catch Monday. More than once, he came up with one-handed receptions. Another time, he found the end zone by keeping his concentration after a pass was tipped by an opposing defensive back. Thomas ran nice, precise routes and showed off an excellent pair of hands all day. By doing so, he was able to beat solid coverage more often than not. If the ball was near him, he found a way to haul it in.
 
You can't coach that kind of size. If we're going to run a pro-style offense, we need WR's who are tall and can catch. He fitst that bill. We need this kid. Looking at his offer list, I'd have to expect we'd be in the lead for him. I'm amazed he hasn't gotten offers from any other schools. In some ways, having a lot of scholarships to offer might be helping us right now.
 
You can't coach that kind of size. If we're going to run a pro-style offense, we need WR's who are tall and can catch. He fitst that bill. We need this kid. Looking at his offer list, I'd have to expect we'd be in the lead for him. I'm amazed he hasn't gotten offers from any other schools. In some ways, having a lot of scholarships to offer might be helping us right now.
You certainly cannot. :)
 
:smile2:

And now I realize Nik said the same thing as me in the third effin post. Ignore me.

:smile2:

It was worth repeating. Especially since Key made some interesting comments in the LA Times about Thomas:

"If you're smart and looking for a wide receiver who will catch the football and move the chains, Michal is your guy," Johnson told the Los Angeles Times in November. "I see guys like this all the time who fly under the radar. He's a guy who can play. This is the guy who will help you keep your job. He's not a finished product. He's only going to get better."

The Jonhson quote along with the one that follows were included in a new Rivals article on Thomas that talks about how he tore things up at the Under Armour All America practices this week: http://colorado.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1172620

"Colorado needs wide receivers, so I like that," Thomas said.
 
Nice!

Pretty amazing to think we have gone from signing Keenan Canty and Donnie Duncan last February to having Paul Richardson in the fold, and possibly adding Lucien/Thomas/Spruce in this class. If Kennedy can help seal the deal, he will have a very talented young WR corps to work with right away.
 
the question is are we gonna get him...NIK care to chime in?

We should be able to win a recruiting battle with Oregon State. Sounds to me like he favors CU.

And here's a bit of scoop for you. There's a connection with Nelson Spruce. Michael Bercovici (Thomas' QB at Taft) was at Westlake with Spruce until 2009 and they are close friends. Thomas and Bercovici transferred into Taft at the same time. Thomas and Spruce know each other.

Sort of unrelated, but here's an article on the unique path Thomas took to becoming a BCS level wide receiver prospect:

As a freshman, he stood 5 foot 7 and weighed 115 pounds. As a 17-year-old senior, he's 6-3, 185 pounds.

He attended Westlake Village Oaks Christian as a freshman, was home-schooled as a sophomore, then enrolled at Taft last season but rarely played. He never was comfortable picking up the offense, but he also had trouble getting open and wasn't particularly fast.

Then came a transformation. The slow, awkward, hesitant teenager has been replaced by a quick, confident, determined one whose fingers grasp a football as if they were the tentacles of a giant squid.

His father, Mike Sr., spent hours on his computer researching exercises and techniques that would help his son improve his muscle strength and speed.

Whatever Thomas has done, it's working. He's faster and more agile now than in August. He seems to have grown into his body and adjusted to his shoe size going from 9 1/2 to 13.


http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/18/sports/la-sp-1119-sondheimer-mike-thomas-20101119
 
We should be able to win a recruiting battle with Oregon State. Sounds to me like he favors CU.

Should help that Oregon State is loaded up at receiver for this class. They have 4 WR commits (not including another form WR that was just re-listed as an ATH).

Thomas, Spruce, Lucien would be fantastic.

Do you think Thomas could play early? Certainly looks like Lucien could.
 
Should help that Oregon State is loaded up at receiver for this class. They have 4 WR commits (not including another form WR that was just re-listed as an ATH).

Thomas, Spruce, Lucien would be fantastic.

Do you think Thomas could play early? Certainly looks like Lucien could.

Definitely could, and would if he signs, play early. We're losing a lot of depth at WR this year.
 
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