Oklahoma quarterback's coach and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel got his big fish for the 2013 recruiting class with Cody Thomas from Colleyville, Texas.
In Thomas, the Sooners get a top all-around athlete with plenty of size at 6'5", 220 pounds. He is a 4-star recruit and rated in the No. 9 to No.12 range among quarterbacks by most recruiting services. As a junior last season, he threw for 3,296 yards, 36 touchdowns and 15 interceptions on 61.1 percent passing. Thomas chose Oklahoma over offers from Notre Dame, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas and Oklahoma State, among many others.
Junior Drew Allen, sophomore Blake Bell, redshirt freshman Kendal Thompson and incoming 2012 recruit Trevor Knight give the Sooners plenty of options in the near future, so Heupel was able to take his time evaluating prospects and be very selective with his offers.
If the right player did not become available, Heupel would not be forced to just sign anyone he could find. Thomas was only the third OU quarterback offer.
Thomas shows many favorable skills as a pocket passer. He runs a typical spread offense at Colleyville High School where he is forced to make quick reads and get the ball out as quick as possible. Many of his throws are to the sideline or wide receiver screens, both requiring pinpoint accuracy and perfect timing.
He displays above average poise in the pocket for his age. Most athletic quarterbacks rely all too often on their legs to make plays, but Thomas shows an impressive knack for hanging in the pocket, making an extra read and taking a hit while still completing the pass. When he is forced to break the pocket and extend the play, he looks comfortable doing so and throws well on the run.
The offense he ran did not include much of a vertical passing game, so it is tough to estimate his deep-ball ability. There are a few on tape, in which he shows excellent touch, but not enough to label his arm as a cannon.
Cody Thomas Junior Season Highlights
The only knock on Thomas is his involvement in baseball. If he is drafted high enough, he could choose to begin his baseball career instead of coming to Norman. Also, because his summers are spent on the diamond, his fundamentals and mechanics aren't quite as advanced as they should be for his age.
These aren't major threats, though. Thomas is not rated anywhere near as high as Archie Bradley, who committed to OU last year but was drafted highly and chose the MLB. Also, Heupel has a wonderful track record of developing quarterbacks and will have years to mold the youngster before he is ever expected to step on the field.Â
Coach Heupel already had the cupboard stocked full at the all-important position. The commitment of Thomas only adds to impressive lineup of signal-callers at OU, whose future is bright and shining at quarterback.
No comments:
Post a Comment