Film Review of Miami Commitment Isaiah Thomas
Talented defender Isaiah Thomas of Clearwater (Fla.) Clearwater Academy International committed to Mario Cristobal, Lance Guidry and Miami on April 19, and it was indeed fun breaking down his junior film.
Before going into what was seen on film, here’s what Clearwater Academy International head coach Jesse Chinchar said about Thomas as a player:
“Isaiah is extremely unique! He’s 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, with a 6’7.5 wingspan. He runs like a corner and hits like a LB. There’s not many players I’ve ever coached or coached against who have the skillset he presents. We talk about him all the time around here as having a similar skillset to Isaiah Simmons. Outside of defensive line there’s not a position he could not play for us on the defense. He’s got remarkable blitz timing and is an extremely cerebral player who’s football IQ puts him in position to make plays that other guys just can’t make! There’s not a team in the country that Isaiah couldn’t play for at the next level.”
Breaking down Thomas’s film, it would be difficult to argue against Chinchar’s lofty comments. With that, he did have one trait that really popped on film.
Thomas showcased big-time first-step explosiveness, especially for a player that’s as tall as he’s become.
Whether going from a backpedal to placing a foot in the ground and then going directly ahead, or changing from backpedal to running forward at an angle, Thomas was sudden. Next up, the frame for Thomas.
His long legs lend one to compare Thomas to a basketball guard in the ACC that has ally-oops thrown to him. It will be difficult for quarterbacks to throw the football over Thomas’s long arms.
That’s a really impressive wingspan for a defensive back; it’s more in line with a weak side defensive end than a safety. Thomas also had the speed to utilize that wingspan to his advantage.
More like a cornerback in terms of how well Thomas runs in the open field, he also possessed excellent range when running laterally from one side of the field to the other.
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Thomas dodged blockers by keeping his eyes on what was going on around the ball carrier and that helped to keep him from being blocked. As for hitting power, Thomas packed a punch.
When he coiled prior to attacking the ball carrier, Thomas stayed low; quick striking ability.
Combining his natural athleticism, frame, and physical nature together, Thomas will likely play multiple roles at the college level. Strong safety will probably be a primary position for him to start out, but there will be more options long-term. Again, Thomas has shown that he likes physicality, so being closer to the line of scrimmage makes sense.
Thomas can be a slot defender. In particular, when teams use a tight end in the slot to frequently block during screens and outside runs, Thomas will be a quality counterpart to work off of that attempted block and get to the football.
He can also be a dime linebacker within special circumstances such as going against wide-open passing teams, as well as blitzing off the edge no matter what position Thomas would be playing. Also important, he blitzed frequently during his time at CAI.
With Thomas being the sixth commitment in April and the seventh overall commitment in the 2024 Miami recruiting class, it’s another recruiting win for the Canes.
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