UCLA Football Sends Offer to JUCO Defensive Back Zeke Thomas

The same day the Bruins officially introduced Kodi Whitfield to their full-time staff, the new cornerbacks coach announced his first offer to a prospective recruit.

Cabrillo College cornerback Zeke Thomas picked up an offer from UCLA football, the defensive back revealed Tuesday on Twitter. Thomas, who played the last two seasons with the Seahawks at the community college level, was on campus earlier in the week.

Thomas' other offers are from Ottawa University, Missouri Valley College, South Dakota School of Mines and Lincoln University.

More than blessed to have received my first D1 offer and the opportunity continue my academic and football career at UCLA #GoBruins @EthanYoungFB @KodiWhitfield @anthony_goliver @UCLAChipKelly @CoachRomero_CC @CoachHansen3 pic.twitter.com/njBjRvamNB
— Zeke Thomas (@shmoney772) January 24, 2023

Thomas has not publicized any other Division I offers to this point. Since he revealed UCLA's offer without publicly committing, however, there is a chance Thomas is anticipating more interest from other Power Five programs.

The defensive back from Soquel, California, has two years of eligibility remaining.

As a freshman in 2021, Thomas racked up 45 tackles, four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound safety made the California Community College Football Coaches Association First Team Defense in Region II in 2022 after recording 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and nine pass breakups.

Thomas became the first defensive back to earn an offer from the Bruins since they officially introduced Whitfield earlier on Tuesday. Reports first started to surface about the former Stanford standout and Sacramento State assistant coach returning to Westwood – where he was previously a graduate assistant – on Jan. 19.

Whitfield is taking over as cornerbacks coach, a position that did not exist on UCLA's staff over the past few seasons. Brian Norwood has been defensive backs coach over the past three seasons, but he was not tagged in Thomas' offer announcement tweet, nor was he in the photos Thomas posted from his visit to the Wasserman Football Center.

Based on his size, Thomas will likely slide in at safety, where the Bruins are losing both of their super senior starters – Stephan Blaylock and Mo Osling III. Kenny Churchwell III, Alex Johnson, William Nimmo Jr. and Bowling Green transfer Jordan Anderson are the veterans who will likely take on most of the load this season, but they are all set to run out of eligibility at the end of 2023.

Rising sophomores Kamari Ramsey and Clint Stephens, as well as class of 2023 signee RJ Jones, appear to make up UCLA's young core at the position for the time being.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ZEKE THOMAS/TWITTER