SI All-American Candidate Christopher Thomas Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Christopher Thomas
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-6, 290 pounds
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: Fort Myers (Fla.) Dunbar
Committed to: Florida
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Frame: Huge and well built. Broad shoulders, wide chest and long arms. Relatively narrow waist. Thick, developing thighs and trunk. Ample room for additional mass and muscle.
Athleticism: Good combination of power and agility. Play strength overwhelms offensive linemen. Moves well overall considering size, but best in space. Flexible. Maintains balance through contract. Feet not especially quick in short areas.
Instincts: Relishes physicality. Gets hands into linemen’s chest with regularity off the snap, reading and diagnosing from there. Quick enough off-ball to cross face inside or beat backside puller to the ball. Comfortable anchoring against double teams.
Polish: Fires off-ball low and hard. Shows good use of arms and hands; punch can be devastating. Needs to diversify pass-rush arsenal; currently relies on strength, quickness and simple arm-over.
Bottom Line: Thomas is a massive defensive lineman, with significant growth potential going forward. Powerful enough to contribute early in Gainesville, but his best days are ahead of him with additional weight and technique. Likely multi-year starter who should get a look from NFL based on physical profile alone.