Tigers Continue to Beef Up Defense
LSU continued its recruiting success with defensive players on Saturday with the commitment of safety Jhase Thomas. The Destrehan High School product chose LSU after a few pump fakes with Ole Miss and Houston hats at his announcement ceremony. His mother and father, former New Orleans Saints cornerback Fred Thomas, were on hand for his announcement. So as four-star safety Jhase Thomas commits to LSU, what does it mean for the program?
A June visit to camp at LSU led to an offer from Brian Kelly after verifying Thomas’ testing numbers. At 6’1” and 180 pounds, Thomas reportedly ran his 40 in the 4.4 range at while on campus. Public perception deemed the Tigers to be in a good position with Thomas after that unofficial visit. Ole Miss was seen as his leader before the LSU offer.
Thomas spoke with On3 Sports about what it meant for him to commit to LSU.
“It’s a dream that you grow up with, so being able to have the opportunity to go to that school is a dream come true. It’s always been a dream of mine that I’ve wanted to make happen,” Thomas explained.
The 247 Sports Composite ranks Thomas as the 20th-best overall player in Louisiana and a three-star prospect. In contrast, On3 Sports recently bumped him up from a three-star to a four-star prospect and the 10th-best player in the state. A former receiver, Thomas is still relatively new to playing safety. His play was impressive enough as a junior to get the attention of several SEC and Big 12 schools.
What Thomas Brings to the Defense
As his offensive experience would suggest, Thomas has great ball skills. When the ball is in the air, his focus instinctively shifts to the ball more so than the receiver. His willingness as a tackler is encouraging. Thomas shows good form when making tackles in the open field but embraces the big hit when available. Be it offense, defense, or special teams, his physical nature is evident at all times he is on the field.
A multi-sport athlete, Thomas also contributes heavily to Destrehan’s track and field team. He has good if not great speed with 100-meter dash results in the low 11’s. His vertical and broad jump numbers speak to his explosiveness. Expect Thomas’s ranking to continue to rise as he gains more experience in the defensive backfield.
Thomas joined a trio of defensive linemen in LSU’s recent run on defensive commitments. There is also a trend of Destrehan standouts coming to LSU. From the Jefferson brothers (most recently Justin) to present Tiger John Emery to 2024 freshman Kolaj Cobbins, LSU has maintained a pipeline from that program. Although high school recruiting has lost a bit of its luster since the advent of the transfer portal, it remains the best way to maintain stability within a program.
Who’s Next on Board?
Highly coveted four-star receiver Derek Meadows was set to announce his school of choice on Saturday but pushed the date back to July 20th. LSU is in the final three for Meadows along with Notre Dame and Michigan.
Meadows is a massive 6’6” target at powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. He holds LSU wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton in high regard, but Notre Dame has been a steady player in his recruitment.
Florida native DJ Pickett could give the Tigers the blue-chip cornerback they sorely need. He’s set to announce his commitment on July 17th. Pickett is the top-ranked cornerback in the country. LSU is battling Oregon and Miami for elite talent, and the importance of NIL is magnified when those programs are involved.
Also hailing from Florida, Jaime Ffrench is another elite, five-star prospect considering LSU. Ffrench is a wide receiver who could play a big part in softening the blow of losing five-star Dakorien Moore to Oregon. The polished receiver has Louisiana ties and plans to commit in August. He’ll choose between LSU, Miami, Texas, and Tennessee.
