LSU Football Receiver Target Brian Thomas SI All-American Player Profile
There are currently two position groups that LSU has knocked out of the park in the 2021 class, the defensive line and receiver.
The Tigers currently have three receiver commits in Deion Smith, JoJo Earle and Chris Hilton but aren’t looking to slow down. With the impending loss of Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall to the 2021 draft, Ed Orgeron and company are looking to add a fourth receiver to the group.
The preferred option is Walker High School product Brian Thomas. The Louisiana native is one of the many high profile players LSU hopes to land, including Maason Smith and Sage Ryan.
“Very proud of our staff and all the workers in the office. It's a different time where we didn't go out in the spring," Orgeron said. "We've got to evaluate our players on tape only right now, but we do have a limited number of calls right now to recruits and parents. Our staff has done a tremendous job of keeping in contact with the guys that are committed to us, getting new commits and we still have some elite players that we feel very good about that we're going after."
It feels like a two man race between LSU and Alabama and it'll be a sprint to the finish line if the Tigers hope to keep Thomas in state.
Here’s the SI All-American player profile for Thomas, who was ranked as the No. 8 receiver prospect.
Frame: Angular frame with great length. Has substantial room to add mass and bulk.
Athleticism: Dual-sport athlete who also excels on the basketball court as a shooting guard. Good overall athlete with very good balance. Coordinated and agile with gliding movement skills. Faster than quick with good build speed and fluid open-field stride. Can generate surprising force in space.
Instincts: Will attempt to utilize a shuffle release versus tight press coverage. Has a solid bam step when stemming to separate on slant routes. Good concentration and tracks throws well with his eyes to play the ball in air. Solid creativity after the catch and capable of making the first defender miss. Can sense open doors when gliding downfield and runs with toughness and competitiveness.
Polish: Nearly exclusively aligns to the left of all formations. Occasionally aligns as inside-2 in trips sets. Has much rawness in his game at this stage. Size and athleticism compensate for releases, hand usage, route running all needing to be refined. Has to improve sinkage and ability to motor down at breakpoints.
Bottom Line: Thomas is a high-ceiling prospect as a receiver who will also likely play basketball at the school he ends up at. He’s raw, but is an ideal blank canvas for a receiver coach at the next level to mold. With his size and athleticism, Thomas’s best days are ahead of him, as he has the potential to develop into a very good “X” receiver or “big slot” in college.
