Thomas hears from the Buckeyes
Tallahassee (Fla.) Godby athlete Khalid Thomas saw his offer list grow to 10 on Wednesday when a major out-of-state school jumped into the picture.
"Ohio State offered me yesterday," Thomas said. "That is a very prestigious offer to have. They have Urban Meyer now, so they have changed the offense up a little bit, more like our offense. So I think it would be a pretty good fit for me."
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For the 5-foot-10, 175-pound athlete, the offer came from a coach he is familiar with, albeit from when he was coaching at a different institution.
"I talked to Coach Tim Hinton, who used to be at Notre Dame," Thomas said. "He offered me at Notre Dame too. He told me I can fit in their offense pretty good."
In addition to speaking with Hinton, Thomas also got a chance to talk with his prospective position coach.
"I talked with the running backs coach (Stan Drayton)," Thomas said. "He talked about how he has been coaching for 19 years. He said that in his 19 years of experience, it helps him see something in me. He said he sees potential."
The Buckeyes are recruiting Thomas as a running back, but not everybody wants him on offense.
"It is a mixture," Thomas said of where he is being recruited to play. "Some are looking at me as a running back and some are looking at me as a defensive back.
"I prefer offense," Thomas added.
During the summer, Thomas is hoping to make his way to Columbus to show Meyer and his staff just what he can do with the ball in his hands.
"I am thinking about getting up there on July 27th for the Friday Night Lights," Thomas said.
Ohio State has a fair share of competition right now. Thomas also claims offers from Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, N.C. State, Notre Dame, South Carolina, South Florida, and Texas Tech.
In addition to his offers, Thomas has also been getting interest from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Connecticut, Florida State, Mississippi State, and Oregon. He recently took a visit to check out the Seminoles, as Florida State's campus is just a few short miles from Godby.
"I went to Florida State's junior day," Thomas said. "I learned a lot academic-wise and being a student-athlete. It was a pretty good experience. I met a lot of the coaches. I talked with Coach (Mark) Stoops while I was there. He is my area recruiter. He just introduced us to the weight room."
As for upcoming visits, Thomas said he would like to visit every school that has offered him. He has no specific plans scheduled as of right now.
At this stage of the process, he is looking at all schools in the same manner.
"Everybody is equal," Thomas said. "I am not sure when I will decide. I am not in any kind of a rush."
When it comes time to decide, Thomas is looking for the right fit as both a student and an athlete.
"I am looking for a school with tradition, academics, and the major that I am trying to study in," Thomas said. "I am trying to study journalism and broadcasting."
As a junior, Thomas rushed for 965 yards on 133 attempts. He also had 461 receiving yards on 37 receptions. He scored 16 offensive touchdowns. On defense, he had 20 tackles, a sack, five pass breakups, and a pair of interceptions including one he returned for a touchdown.