Will Lightning-Fast Jacob Thomas Stick with Pitt?

It wasn’t long after Jacob Thomas announced his commitment to the Pitt Panthers when it became clear that many other schools would ramp up the pursuit of Thomas instead of wrapping up that dialogue and shifting gears to other prospects.

First of all, this isn’t a suggestion that Thomas wasn’t sincere when he went public with his pledge.

To be clear, his message had all the markings of a prospect convinced his college future was decided. All indications pointed to a young, talented receiver (from a region that produces many of the best pass-catchers in America) had unexpectedly found a college scholarship opportunity so compelling that he was entirely comfortable pledging his allegiance to Kade Bell and the Panthers.

What began to convince me that Thomas was on the cusp of drawing a significant influx of college attention was an effort to take a closer look at his game film to gain a clearer sense of why Pitt offered Thomas several months before any other college coaches caught on.

Next, it was a segue into his verified track times. And then there was some homework on the opposing players that seemed utterly incapable of running with the sophomore. However, important context in play, it wasn't for a lack of good talent or speed on the other side of scrimmage. It was due to a unique ability to slash through traffic with darting speed, a quick-triggered acceleration that often deemed man coverage a hopeless approach to containing Thomas.

Keep in mind that this was an underclassman who I could safely assume was only beginning to tap into what may be substantial potential beyond the varsity stage.

Had A Great Camp At Mississippi State University! pic.twitter.com/wRdjUdf22x
— Jacob Thomas (@1gump_) June 14, 2024

In the 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 and 160-pound range, the way his inevitable natural growth and added strength through the weight room would maximize his rare tools was going to be fun to track.

What does this have to do with his commitment to the Pitt Panthers?

Again, it wasn’t clear that opportunities elsewhere could shake his belief that he’d already put his recruitment to bed when he became confident enough in Pitt to do so.

While that could’ve been the case, from what his film showed that day, I couldn’t see much more time passing before a flurry of scholarship opportunities was headed in his direction.

To be clear, I didn't know the circumstances or the status of his recruiting profile outside of Pitt. However, coincidentally, maybe one hour after digging into the highlights, an SEC offer surfaced.

Had A Great Camp Today @OleMissFB pic.twitter.com/4bVJjUKiEF
— Jacob Thomas (@1gump_) June 15, 2024

Whether the Auburn staff was simply countering his commitment to Pitt through a last-second Hail Mary, or if the staff had evaluated his film for the first time that same day, that much is unclear.

A couple of hours later, Purdue offered.

A few days later, Central Florida offered first, and Kentucky followed later that day, March 5.

When the calendar turned to April, one month since his commitment, Florida State joined the race. It wasn't the first offer since Kentucky entered the chat, though. Boston College, Florida International, Miami, and Marshall became wise to the lightning bolt out of the Hollywood area.

Through the month of April, Louisville, Maryland, Toledo, and West Virginia extended offers. Meanwhile, with a 10.6 his personal best in the 100 meters, a rate of speed very few can match, Thomas attended a track meet earlier this week.

He ended up shattering that number with a verified score of 10.38.

With that concrete data proving his bona fide elite speed, it'll be interesting to see the next domino effect.

For now, there's been no indication that Thomas has swayed from his commitment. It's always worth keeping in mind he has two full years of high school ahead of him. Between now and then, he's capable of making some of the most entertaining highlight reels across the country.

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