SI All-American Candidate Thomas Cole Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: OT/DE Thomas Cole
Projected Position: Offensive Tackle
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-7, 265 pounds
School: San Luis Obispo (Calif.)
Schools of Interest: Kansas State, Cal, Michigan, Northwestern, Virginia, Arizona State, Oregon and Oregon State.
Frame: Long arms and legs with a prototypical developmental NFL frame. Basketball body on a football diet.
Athleticism: Agile athlete with plus feet. Not as much of a bender as he is a leaner off the edge. Very good change-of-direction ability. Quick enough to read and react defensively.
Instincts: Offensive line coaches love Thomas Cole-types like Bill Belichick loves small schools. Out-athletes his opponents and wins with quickness and his feet. Plays through the whistle, and will greatly benefit from more reps against better competition.
Polish: Plays with good leverage despite his height. Doesn’t consistently fire out of his stance on the defensive side of the ball. Gigantic first step engulfs defensive lineman.
Bottom Line: Cole is one of the best athletes with his hand in the dirt in the state of California. Former tight end that spent his first full season at tackle during his junior year. Impressed many but surprised none when he put together a dominant season on both sides of the ball.