The Football Brainiacs

The Path to Norman

Isaiah Thomas had a long relationship with the OU staff before committing. The Tulsa, OK product was a target for quite a while before deciding OU was the place to be. Thomas chose OU over teams like Alabama, Missouri, and Oklahoma State.

Career So Far

Thomas took a redshirt year in 2017, seen as a raw but very athletic talent upon arriving in Norman. He spent a year getting to build on that athleticism and develop his talent. In 2018, Thomas saw action in 9 games, showing off his ability to run and get downhill. 2019 saw Isaiah earn playing time in 11 games, but mostly in limited action. He was on the field more frequently toward the end of the season with Ronnie Perkins sidelined. 

Then, Thomas absolutely exploded in 2020. With both Perkins and Jalen Redmond out for the start of the season, Thomas was an anchor on the defensive line and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors for his effort. His team rankings: first in tackles among defensive linemen, first on the team in TFL, first on the team in sacks, and third in QB hurries. On a TFB poll, he was voted Sooners defensive player of the year and finished third for Sooners MVP. 

Current Profile

Position: Defensive Lineman

Height: 6’5â€

Weight: 262 

Year: Redshirt Senior

Stats

This Season

Despite speculation that he could leave after 2020, Isaiah Thomas is back for 2021 and primed for a big season. After 2019, his draft stock wasn’t overly high; now, he’s likely to be a top three round draft pick and could climb even higher with a monstrous 2021 season. Thomas was already a key player in 2020: with the departure of Ronnie Perkins, all eyes will be on him to be the leader of the line. Count on Thomas to be one of the Sooners’ best players and leaders in 2021.