TRANSFER PORTAL: Akron Lands OL Da'Quan Thomas of NC Central

Joe Londergan | Apr 9, 2024

Sep 17, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Akron Zips helmets sit on the sidelines in the game against / Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

After a pair of 2-10 seasons in his first two years at the helm of Akron, Zips’ head coach Joe Moorhead looks to bolster the offensive line with the commitment of former Florida and North Carolina Central offensive lineman Da’Quan Thomas.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 290-pound West Palm Beach native began his career with the Gators in 2020 before transferring to the HBCU program in 2021 and has been a mainstay on the offensive line over the last three seasons.

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Thomas will seek to help an Akron offensive line group that allowed 46 sacks in 2023 – the most allowed in the Mid-American Conference last season under offensive line coach Joel Rodriguez, who uses his deep South Florida ties to land the commitment of the versatile offensive lineman who was named to the first-team All-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference last year.

Per Pro Football Focus, the Zips’ offensive line group earned a rating of 46.4, which was the lowest in the MAC and among the bottom third in college football in 2023.

Thomas played across the interior offensive line during his time with NC Central and has two years of eligibility following a redshirt season during the 2020-COVID season.