Notre Dame Film Room: 2024 Edge Commit Loghan Thomas
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This week, Notre Dame received a commitment from 2024 Katy (Texas) Paetow pass rusher Loghan Thomas. It was a significant victory for the Irish, who landed one of the more gifted pass rushers in the 2024 recruiting class.
Let’s take a look at what makes Thomas so special of a talent. Here is what he brings to the table on film. The skill set is tantalizing.
PROSPECT PROFILE
Hometown/High School: Katy, Texas/Paetow
Height/Weight: 6-4/210
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Colorado, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Duke, Arizona, Cal, Kansas
FILM ROOM
Size/Frame/Power - On film, Thomas boasts the type of frame that you want at the Vyper position. At 6-4 he is long limbed with plenty of room to grow, holding a frame to carry over 240 pounds in his career. Thomas has already started to grow and fill out since his junior season ended, which is a scary thing to think about if you're one of his 2023 opponents. The length is one of the first things that pops off the film for Thomas. He has some extremely long arms and is able to comfortably play outside of his frame. Thomas also has broad shoulders and hips which make it very projectable to carry much more weight while maintaining athleticism.
Despite being on the thin/light side at the moment, Thomas brings some surprising power to the game. His hands could work to be a little bit more violent but Thomas’ hip strength and explosiveness allows him to create speed to power as a pass rusher. He can absolutely crumble opposing offensive lineman with his power profile, against really good competition as well.
Athletic Skills - After playing primarily as a three-point stance edge as a sophomore, Thomas played more of a hybrid linebacker/edge role in a 3-4 defense as a junior. That means he wasn't asked to play on ball all the time and fire off the football this past season. When he does, however, Thomas has an impressive first step. It makes sense when you consider he has some track and field experience as a sprinter. The explosiveness he brings to the game is exceptional. Thomas can get up to top speed very quickly, putting opposing offensive lineman into conflict.
For a taller player, Thomas changes directions well and explodes to ball carriers. His long limbs also allow for him to play out of his frame, and cover even more ground. Some of the plays that Thomas makes in pursuit are eye popping. His athletic profile also allows him to play on the second level, even dropping into coverage effectively. Thomas is a bit of an upright rusher but there is some bend that flashes at times. As he becomes more comfortable and controlled in his frame, he should be able to run the outside track at a high level. The closing speed for Thomas may also be one of the better parts of his profile.
Technique/Instincts - Whether he lines up as a standup rusher or with his hand in the ground, Thomas has the upside to be an impact pass rusher. His get off is incredibly notable when he’s in attack mode. For a taller player, Thomas actually plays with a really good pad level. When he does keep low pads, Thomas can play with great leverage and create easy power in small spaces. His hands are extremely inconsistent, both in terms of technique and violence. Thomas needs to play with better snap anticipation to really take advantage of his first step. The tackle radius for Thomas is absurd. He can make an abnormal amount of plays in pursuit, closing ground in a hurry. As a pass rusher, Thomas is winning off of pure athleticism and traits. There is very little pass rush plan. When he adds those tools to the tool box, he has the talent to develop into a big time pass rusher.
Run Game - In the run game, Thomas’ best ability is working in pursuit with his plus closing speed. His closing quickness allows him to make a lot of plays that he shouldn’t be able to. On the front side of runs, he shows the ability at times to play with extension and set the edge. Thomas’ hand technique is just extremely inconsistent. His aiming points can be a little wide and doesn’t always strike consistently. Thomas’ length is fantastic, so when he does gain extension effectively he is able to keep opposing offensive lineman off of his body. As he adds more mass and power to his frame, while improving technique, Thomas has a chance to run into a plus run defender.
Pass Game - When Thomas plays with great snap anticipation, he has the tools to be a high caliber pass rusher. He can create some easy power, also possessing the explosiveness to win around the track. Thomas can win simply off of his first, while also possessing the power profile to convert speed to power. There is also some flexibility to work with, showcasing the talent to be a two track rusher on the next level if he is developed properly. He will need to add more pass rush moves to the arsenal to add more variety to win. As a standup rusher, Thomas is actually surprisingly good dropping into coverage. His length and smoothness allows him to close passing windows and cover a ton of ground.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
The biggest areas for improvement for Thomas is his hand technique and pass rush arsenal. His hands can be too wide at times, affecting his ability to play with leverage on a snap to snap basis. When he plays with inside hands, Thomas is a difficult dude to stop. As a pass rusher, Thomas is winning off of being athletic and long. He will need to add more moves to the arsenal other than a bull rush to become a high volume sack artist.
Other than those small technical improvements, adding mass to Thomas’ frame is the biggest area of focus. Whether he plays in space more or with his hand in the dirt, that power increase will be a big time addition for Thomas.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Thomas is an ideal fit into the Notre Dame defense as a Vyper. His combination of explosiveness, length and flexibility allows him to really create headaches in one on one situations. The Texas native also has had some experience on the second level and working in pass coverage effectively. That experience should allow for the Irish defender to be versatile in how they deploy the position.
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