Name: R Mason Thomas
Position: Edge
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215lb
Other Measurables: Played RB, runs track
NCAA Football 14 Freshman: 73
NCAA Football 14 Potential: 97
Player Comparison: Will McDonald/Micah Parsons
Significant Impact: RS Fr. We will not have pass rusher like him on the roster. We will use him a lot in those situations.
Attributes: [Freak]
Areas of Improvement: Need a lot more weight/muscle to be an every down guy. His hand placement and separation when engaging the offensive tackle; he relies on raw talent and speed to beat guys and he will need to use more tools to beat P5 competition.
Thoughts:
When most fans think about this class, they will likely think about Hunter Deyo, Greg Gaines, Rocco Becht and other instate guys, rightfully so. Those guys are the highlights, the big names, the close-to-home guys. Here is one of those "Who's that?" kind of guys. You know, the kind of guy when you're watching the game with your Pop and he asks "Who's that guy? Never seen him before. Where's he been?" You know what I'm talking about.
Thomas is one of those guys.
Thomas has one of the fastest first steps I have seen from an ISU recruit. And he covers A LOT of ground shortly after the snap.
He is very similar to Will McDonald and Micah Parsons because out of high school, both players were perceived as tweeners and recruited for both LB and Edge; especially Parsons. South Carolina wanted Thomas as a linebacker/Von Miller type. I know other Power Fives viewed him this way.
He would have double the sacks, but his team is so good that others, including another ISU prospect Ahmad Moten, take A LOT of the sacks away from him.
Now to address something that you saw in this post and went "ehhh, that may not be correct." I rated his Rating Potential as "97" because I believe that is his high end. I think he is one of those guys who is either going to be solid or the best player on the team. His speed is SO FAST and plays with so much athleticism that if he figures it out in college, he's going to be near unguardable.
97 is the highest I have given a recruit since doing these recruiting reports and it likely will be the highest I give this year.
R Mason Thomas is a freak.