Jeff Thomas to Miami: Hurricanes Land 4-Star WR Prospect

Miami (FL)landed one of the most electric athletes in the class of 2017 on Wednesday, as wide receiver Jeff Thomas officially announced his commitment.ESPNU shared news of Thomas' commitment:Scoutratesthe East Saint Louis High School standout rated as a4-starprospect as well astheNo. 41overall player, theNo. 5wide receiver and theNo. 1wideout from the state of Illinois in his class.While Thomas is from the Midwest, he received interest from programs across the country, including Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State and Florida State, according toScout.Thomas isn't particularly big at 5'10" and 167 pounds, but his speed and versatility help him stand out from the other receivers who are set to make the leap to the college game.PerBeth Longof Scout, East Saint Louis head coach Darren Sunkett pointed toward Thomas' ability to line up in different spots as one of his greatest attributes:First thing is he's very smart, he's an intelligent kid. You have got to be that way the way we are utilizing him this year. We are playing Jeff in several different positions, we split him out wide, put him in the slot, put him in the backfield.A kid that is able to move around like that and remember what he is doing, he's definitely a top-notch recruit.Being a smallish receiver helps him in that regard since he has speed to burn defensive backs down the field. He is also quick and elusive enough to get open off the line on shorter routes that often develop into big gains when he has the ball in his hands.Although Thomas is a couple of inches shorter at this point, Nate Latsch of Scout believes he compares favorably to current Kansas City Chiefs and former University of Missouri pass-catcher Jeremy Maclin (6'0"):If Thomas becomes anything close to Maclin at either the collegiate or pro level, he will be a successful player and well worth the advanced billing he has received from so many talent evaluators.One of the biggest reasons why transitioning from high school to college is tough for many players is the difference in speed.While Thomas will encounter players who are much closer to him in that regard than he is used to, he still figures to be elite in that area, which is why he'll have a chance to be a difference-maker early in his tenure.Add in the fact he has proved to be a strong route-runner capable of beating defenders from multiple areas on the field, and it is easy to envision Thomas making an impact right away.The Hurricanes are seemingly on the rise under head coach Mark Richt, and that figures to continue if he can keep bringing in top-flight talent from out of state.Richt was known as one of college football's top recruiters during his time at Georgia, and Thomas' commitment is a sign that the trend will continue at Miami.Follow@MikeChiarion Twitter.
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