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| Dymonte Thomas has horrible push-up form but plays football good. |
Dymonte Thomas, a running back and safety from Marlington High School in Alliance, OH, committed to Michigan last Saturday night. I had hoped to get this post written earlier, but it's just been a busy week. And he's only a junior, so what's the rush?
Thomas is a class of 2013 prospect who chose the Wolverines over offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, UCLA, and West Virginia. As of now, the coaches plan to play him at safety, although he could play several skill positions in college.
Thomas stands 5'11" and 167 lbs. according to the recruiting services, but other reports have him closer to 6'1" by now. He runs a 4.53 forty yard dash, benches 250 lbs., and squats 200 right now (which will hopefully improve significantly). He's a member of the Future 247 (247 Sports' top players for the upcoming class) and the ESPNU 150 to Watch.
Thomas was offered by the Wolverines several months ago, and Michigan immediately jumped to the forefront of his recruitment. Michigan was also recruiting Alden Hill, a fullback/running back from Marlington who has since chosen to attend Tennessee. Hill's Volunteer-ism didn't deter the coaches, who continued to pursue Thomas. Additionally, Thomas is the cousin of another Michigan target - Canton (OH) Glenoak's Bri'onte Dunn, a highly touted running back who is currently committed to Ohio State. There were reports a couple weeks ago that Dunn's commitment to OSU was stronger than ever, but rumors in the past week indicate that he could be wavering once again.
Aside from all the other ramifications, Thomas is a fine player in his own right. Playing varsity ball as a freshman for Marlington, he had 91 carries for 801 yards (8.8 yards per carry) plus 8 touchdowns, while also notching 56 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries. He doubled that production as a sophomore in 2010, when he had 186 carries for 1,641 yards and 17 touchdowns, plus 136 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery.
There's isn't much film out there of Thomas's defensive prowess. Despite the excellent defensive statistics, they have been a bit overshadowed by his offensive exploits. Some people in and around Ohio consider Thomas to be the top running back and top safety prospect in the state. I'm longing for Thomas to play running back because it's been several years since Michigan had a dominant runner, but he prefers safety and that's where the coaches want him. Thomas was clearly a superior athlete even as a sophomore, and his speed and strength should only improve with time. If he truly is around 6'1" and can fill out to be 190-200 lbs., then the sky is the limit for someone with his athleticism and instincts. Michigan fans can look forward to a combination of 2012 safety Jarrod Wilson and 2013 safety Thomas pairing up for what could be Michigan's best safety duo since the mid-'90s.
TTB Rating: 84 (rating system explanation)
I think that is a calf (gastroc) stretch, not a push up, if you look at the guys behind him...
ReplyDelete"sophomore in 2010, when he had 186 carries for 1,641 yards and 17 touchdowns, plus 136 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery"
Those sophomore numbers are insane. Especially if you consider he had to play both ways with that intensity to tally them all. I think if he continues at his current course, Thomas will be a huge get for Michigan when he finally arrives. Can't wait to see him in the Maize and Blue.
@ Anonymous 8:11 a.m.
ReplyDeleteI was joking about the push-up form...
But yeah, those stats are pretty insane. They might be even better if he weren't sharing the backfield with a kid who's going to Tennessee.
For someone as highly regarded as Thomas, 84 seems a bit low. Is he likely to move up into the 90s as it gets closer to Feb 2013?
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 9:33 a.m.
ReplyDeleteHe's only a sophomore in that film, so there's plenty of time to move up.
Shane Morris and now Dymonte Thomas... what a great way to start the 2013 class.
ReplyDeleteIf Brionte Dunn commits to Michigan, you can have your cake (an elite RB) and eat it too (elite S).
ReplyDeleteDid you ever do a post for Shane Morris? Interested how you would rank him early in the process.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 8:17 p.m.
ReplyDeleteI did one for Morris, but there's so little film on him that I didn't give him a grade.
If I remember correctly, in 1994 Michigan recruited a guy with a similar profile: an all-state Ohio native at running back, recruited by Michigan, but wanted to play defense once he got here. This particular guy was, unlike Dymonte, a senior at the time, not a junior. I'm stumped, though...what was his name again? If I remember, he did OK while he was here :)
ReplyDelete