The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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68 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019 BY ANDREW HUSSEY Linebacker Charles Thomas moved around a lot in his high school career, playing for three different schools in his four years — Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Ga., IMG Academy in Bra- denton, Fla., and St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. He made a very positive impression on his coaches at his final prep stop. "We've never had anyone as remotely strong or as fast as him, that combina- tion," St. Thomas More head coach Jeff Moore said. "He's done an amazing job. He was our leading tackler and tackler for losses this year. Saying he is as strong as an ox is an understatement — he's a whole other level. He set the school bench press record." Thomas also excelled in the mental part of football. "He has an incredibly high football IQ," Moore said. "He's a person you only have to explain things to once, and he can figure it out on the fly. He just understands the game extremely well." Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman said Thomas' physicality and the speed at which he sees the game is going to make him successful at Michigan. "When I did see him, I was im- pressed by how he looked physi- cally and on film," Friedman said. "He's obviously impressive." B e y o n d h i s p l a y, T h o m a s became a leader as his senior sea- s o n w e n t o n . Thomas wasn't a big talker, but his teammates still gravitated to him. "He's a natu- rally quiet kid, but as the year progressed, he started doing a much better job of communicating with his teammates and working with them as well," Moore said. "Through- out the year, he stepped into a lead- ership role and was able to explain things to kids that were struggling." Moore added that Thomas isn't the typical high school player. "He works really hard," the coach said. "That's the most important thing. He's very coachable, never complains. I think in today's day and age, every kid wants to give you his two cents. "With Charles, you tell him what to do and he takes care of it. There's no second-guessing whatsoever. In col- lege football, being able to trust the guy they put out there is 85 percent of the battle." With his combination of physical traits and intangibles, Thomas could see the field soon for Michigan. "Charles is a big-time hitter in the middle of the field," Friedman said. "I like the way he quickly diagnoses plays and flies to the football. He's somebody who has pretty good size for an inside linebacker. He's the heir apparent to Devin Bush. "As soon as he gets acclimated to the system and physically acclimated to Big Ten play, I expect him to be a regular contributor." ❑ Charles Thomas' Physicality Sets Him Apart STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks INT 2018 49 15 1 0 2017 52 3 1 1 2016 132 10 3 1 2015 102 5 0 0 HONORS • Thomas was an honorable mention selection for The Atlanta Journal Con- stitution's AAAAAA (the state's second- largest classification) All-State squad as a sophomore at Langston Hughes High in Fairburn, Ga. • Also a MaxPreps Sophomore All- American in 2016. RECRUITMENT • Thomas was pledge No. 1 for U-M's 2019 class back on June 24, 2017. • Safeties coach Chris Partridge led the pursuit with defensive coordinator Don Brown playing a big role as well. DID YOU KNOW? • Had a 44-yard punt return touch- down as a senior. • Born in California and moved to Georgia when he was 6 years old. THEY SAID IT • Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman: "Thomas is a very physical inside linebacker. He fits exactly what Devin Bush's role has been at Michigan. I expect him to see the field fairly early because he has that physical nature to him. His instincts really take over once he's on the field. "It's all about his reaction time once he's playing at a place like Michigan. He definitely has the straight-line speed and plays well between the hashes, but can he read and react fast enough to be a difference-maker is really the big question with him." CHARLES THOMAS LINEBACKER 5-11 • 224 ST. THOMAS MORE SCHOOL (OAKDALE, CONN.) ATLANTA RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 35* 7! ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 354 21* 3^ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 12* 38^ * Ranked as an inside linebacker; ! ranked in Connecticut; ^ ranked in Georgia 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 2019 Projection Thomas was insanely productive as a freshman and sophomore in high school, but tapered off a bit at two different high schools during his final two years of prep football. There's no doubt that he has the aggression, speed and instincts to play at a high level, but how will he adjust to another big leap in compe- tition and a fourth brand new envi- ronment in five years? He looks like he could be Devin Bush 2.0 because of his build and speed, but it will all have to click in order for him to reach levels any- where near Bush's production. He probably won't have to play as a freshman, but he could see the field on special teams. 68 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019 Thomas eclipsed 100 tackles as a freshman and sophomore at Langston Hughes High in Georgia. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM