Over the weekend, I got to talk to one of the
most talked about high school players in America Kardell Thomas. He attended
the Army All-American Combine last week and dominated defensive linemen. Of
course, the video of him dominating those players went viral and the four-star
offensive lineman probably reeled in a few more offers. He looked like a man
amongst boys with his size and physical skills. This kid is only a sophomore so
his mailbox will be inundated with letters.
Thomas attended combines last year after his freshman season and felt like a
few guys caught him off guard. That left a bad taste in his mouth and this year
he intends to prove he is the top rated lineman undisputedly. He is committed
to LSU due to a decision he made in late July in 2016. In an interview, he
illustrated the fact that USC, Florida, Miami, and Alabama contact him often.
He will visit a few of those schools in the near future.
After reading and watching his highlights, it is easy to see why Thomas is
viewed as the top lineman in the class of 2019. He helped lead his high school,
Southern Lab, to a Division IV State Championship. At 6'5 and well over 330
pounds, he probably excites coaches that come see him. He is extremely violent
and that is a good thing in the game of football. Thomas has an excellent punch
at the point of attack and I am sure defenders feel like they are getting hit
with a Billy club. He puts his hat on guys and drives them to the ground or he
runs them over and goes to the next guy. I am sure that is how he got his
nickname "Mr. Pancake." I have a better one for you KT "The Bulldozer." Thomas recognizes that he is a great run
blocker, but he knows he needs to improve his pass protection.
Thomas is extremely agile for a man at his size and I asked him if he trains to
get faster. He said, "Its natural and I made it better by working on it I
use to play running back when I was like three but to improve it I do
everything with a weight vest on like jumping rope, box jumps, and jumping over
the weight bar with the weight vest and two 25 pound weights in my hand."
You really see how fast he is when he has to get out in the open field on
screens or when his tail back breaks free. As a defensive back, the last thing
I would want to see is a man of his size running at me. It would be like a
train with no breaks steamrolling toward me.
Thomas is a dominant player in the high school ranks, but he knows he has a
future at the next level. He knows that he needs to work on his pass protection
as well as his balance and leverage when he jams defenders. He has been a
lineman since he was four years old. Thomas believes he has a future at guard,
but he has the speed to play tackle. I love his skill set, but he will be a
great player due to his tremendous work ethic. Thomas knows he is not a
finished product and is willing to put in the time to perfect his craft. He
even joked around and talked about lining up outside to catch passes. Thomas
said, "I would play wide receiver because I am unguardable." I am all
for a goal line package where he runs a route from tight end!
Thomas is a young player on the rise and definitely one to watch for the next
few years.
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