by Bill Seals
A four-star defensive standout rated as a top-five prospect in the state of Ohio for the 2020 class recently picked up an Iowa State offer and said the program has instant name recognition with him given the work done in Ames by another former standout from his hometown.
Cincinnati Princeton junior outside linebacker Jaheim Thomas said he knows the Cyclones well because of the career David Montgomery enjoyed, so he was happy to add an offer from them.
“I know of David Montgomery and what he’s done there; that’s a Cincinnati kid and he’s about to get drafted,” said Thomas. “That’s a great look for Iowa State to all the Cincinnati kids.”
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound Thomas said he picked up the offer on January 23rd, a short time after an assistant coach visited with him in-school.
“They came out here and the coach gave me his card and asked me to text him,” Thomas said. “He asked if I was able to get on the phone with him, so we talked about how their program works and how they run the defense out of the 3-3-5. He talked to me about where they play, what division they’re in and about the school before offering me.
“He said the position I play won’t be much of a difference from high school, because I’d be able to play the outside linebacker position where I can play in space. I can rush the passer on first and second downs and then drop into coverage on third down. That’s pretty much what I do here.”
Since securing the offer, Thomas has researched the football squad online.
“I’ve watched a few videos and I think it’s a great program,” he said. “They get after it in the weight room. The coach sent me a little chart of how their defense rolls and the guys there look pretty tough.”
Well established in the most recent Rivals250, the four-star Thomas checks in as the 158th overall prospect in addition to being the 10th outside linebacker nationally and number-four recruit in Ohio for 2020. As a junior, he recorded 38 tackles, two sacks and a pair of interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
“The coaches like how quick I get to the ball, how I use my hands and am able to drop back into coverage and hang with wide receivers, tight ends and running backs,” he said.
In addition to his ISU offer, he has Power-5 ones from Colorado, Duke, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
A four-star defensive standout rated as a top-five prospect in the state of Ohio for the 2020 class recently picked up an Iowa State offer and said the program has instant name recognition with him given the work done in Ames by another former standout from his hometown.
Cincinnati Princeton junior outside linebacker Jaheim Thomas said he knows the Cyclones well because of the career David Montgomery enjoyed, so he was happy to add an offer from them.
“I know of David Montgomery and what he’s done there; that’s a Cincinnati kid and he’s about to get drafted,” said Thomas. “That’s a great look for Iowa State to all the Cincinnati kids.”
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound Thomas said he picked up the offer on January 23rd, a short time after an assistant coach visited with him in-school.
“They came out here and the coach gave me his card and asked me to text him,” Thomas said. “He asked if I was able to get on the phone with him, so we talked about how their program works and how they run the defense out of the 3-3-5. He talked to me about where they play, what division they’re in and about the school before offering me.
“He said the position I play won’t be much of a difference from high school, because I’d be able to play the outside linebacker position where I can play in space. I can rush the passer on first and second downs and then drop into coverage on third down. That’s pretty much what I do here.”
Since securing the offer, Thomas has researched the football squad online.
“I’ve watched a few videos and I think it’s a great program,” he said. “They get after it in the weight room. The coach sent me a little chart of how their defense rolls and the guys there look pretty tough.”
Well established in the most recent Rivals250, the four-star Thomas checks in as the 158th overall prospect in addition to being the 10th outside linebacker nationally and number-four recruit in Ohio for 2020. As a junior, he recorded 38 tackles, two sacks and a pair of interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
“The coaches like how quick I get to the ball, how I use my hands and am able to drop back into coverage and hang with wide receivers, tight ends and running backs,” he said.
In addition to his ISU offer, he has Power-5 ones from Colorado, Duke, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
