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WR Michael "Cantguardmike" Thomas (B1G Champion, National Champion, Pro Bowl, All-Pro, 2019 OPOY, New Orleans Saints)

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Second down: Michael Thomas flashes

He's still not working with the first-team offense much, but Michael Thomas appears to be trending in the right direction with every difficult snag he pulls down when his number is called.

The rising sophomore had big expectations a year ago after a splashy finish to spring practice, but he wasn't quite ready to live up to them physically before making limited contributions late in the season as he acclimated to the speed at the Big Ten level. Now a bit more polished and clearly stronger, Thomas made a habit of coming down with everything thrown his way Tuesday afternoon, no matter how tough the catch or tight the coverage.

At various times in different drills, Thomas showed toughness when challenged one-on-one, was crisp in his intermediate routes and also turned in a highlight-reel snag on a deep ball down the sideline that required him to adjust to the ball while fighting off a cornerback. Starters Philly Brown and Devin Smith both have improved as well, but Thomas should at least add to the rotation.
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http://espn.go.com/blog/colleges/osu/post?id=9647#more
 
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Older, wiser Thomas hopes to be playmaker for Ohio State football team
BY DAVID BRIGGS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS ? To paraphrase the title of his famous uncle?s autobiography, Michael Thomas expected Ohio State to just give him the ball last season.

He had the pedigree and the promise ? his team-high 12 catches in the Buckeyes? spring game seeming to foreshadow a prolific freshman season on a team that lacked a proven receiver.

Yet just as Thomas bolted into mind, he was out of sight just as quickly. His 2012 total: three catches for 22 yards.

"I don't think the [spring game] was a curse," receivers coach Zach Smith said. "But it was motivating because of the year he had and the expectations he had after the game. I'm glad it happened now.

"Last year, he might have been a little inflated. But he's not now."

When Ohio State plays its annual Scarlet and Gray game Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, tens of thousands of scrutinizing fans will make their first judgments of the 2013 Buckeyes.

Thomas, the nephew of former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, is an example of why it?s sometimes best to wait.

A year after his hyped first public close-up, Thomas said last week why he wasn?t ready last season ? and why he believes he is now. This spring, Thomas is no longer a "little clueless," as Smith pegged him last year. A player who receives daily pointers from Johnson, feels in lockstep with star quarterback Braxton Miller ? the two close friends even traveled to Thomas? native California for private training sessions in December ? and has learned to read defenses could be now what so many expected he would be last season: a breakout contributor.

By all accounts, the 6-foot-2, 199-pound sophomore is enjoying a strong spring. He caught deep balls in coverage during passing drills on Tuesday and Thursday, then stirred an estimated 2,500 students at Saturday?s open practice with a one-handed touchdown grab despite pass interference from freshman cornerback Eli Apple.

Thomas will have to keep standing out. The receivers have outgrown their starring role in the Urban Meyer-styled "clown show" from last spring. Senior Corey Brown caught 60 passes for 669 yards last year, junior Devin Smith emerged as a clutch deep option, and fifth-year senior Jordan Hall is moving from tailback to H-Back.

Still, the Buckeyes? passing offense, though improved from a rock-bottom 2011, ranked 101st nationally. Help remains wanted, and Thomas could offer it at split end.

"When you come in as a freshman, I was just trying to make plays," Thomas said. "You just want to catch the ball. I wasn't really following the [offensive] concept. It's starting to slow down now."

Unlike in high school at Woodland Hills Taft outside Los Angeles, where he caught 86 passes for a state-leading 1,656 yards and 21 touchdowns and developed into a four-star prospect, Thomas relies on more than his size, speed, and instincts. He knows, for instance, how to read his triangle ? the safety, the cornerback, and the near linebacker ? and continues to absorb tips from Johnson, a fellow Los Angeles native with whom Thomas said he talks daily.

The best advice from Johnson, who played 11 seasons in the NFL and now analyzes for a living on ESPN?

"Make everything look like I'm running the ?Go,? " Thomas said. "If I stay low and act like I'm running the ?Go,? no defensive back wants to get beat deep, and it opens up everything underneath."

Thomas also continues to bond with the player responsible for giving him the ball. When Miller spent a week in San Diego training with quarterback guru George Whitfield, he threw to Thomas and stayed at his family?s house in Woodland Hills. Thomas calls Miller, a junior, "like my brother away from home."

Naturally, Thomas was among the first Miller alerted when he unveiled a bleached-blond mohawk this week. Think the look previously cornered by former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, better known as the Honey Badger.

"Soon as he got it," Thomas said, "he wanted to know my opinion."

"It?s great," he told Miller.

"It's just something new," Thomas said. "Why not?"

Whether said with bitten tongue or not, the idea is for the connection to translate into a new battery this fall.
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Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Ohio-Sta...-State-football-team.html#bTVUI85Cqi45R3H2.99

more info on Keyshawn and Thomas
 
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Fall after spring
After disappointing 2012, WR Michael Thomas looking for another springboard
Updated: April 9, 2013
By Austin Ward | BuckeyeNation

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michael Thomas spent his freshman season at Ohio State seemingly living on polar ends of the spectrum.

There was the extreme high that came with closing out his first spring game by leading the Buckeyes in catches, sending expectations soaring and building a fever pitch of anticipation for what he could do at wide receiver right away.

Then there was almost everything that came after, the reality that set in for a talented young player struggling to turn that easy, natural athleticism into production at a higher level.

rn_g_michaelthomas_ms_200.jpg

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Michael Thomas didn't have the immediate impact he was hoping for after a big spring in 2012.

But aside from quickly learning the difference between shining in a practice setting and in a game for an unbeaten team, his first year with the Buckeyes left plenty of lessons for Thomas to absorb along the way. And the low points have been the most instructive as Ohio State closes in on the anniversary of a performance that seemed at the time more like a coming-out party than just a particularly good workout in front of a crowd.

"Last year I think he might have been a little inflated, but he's not now, because of the result of the season after the spring game," wide receivers coach Zach Smith said. "I don't think it was a curse. I think right now today as it stands, it was motivating, because of the year he had and the expectations he had after the spring game. I'm glad it happened now.

"The best thing that happened to him was having to deal with success and failure."

cont...
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http://espn.go.com/colleges/osu/foo...s-receiver-michael-thomas-having-solid-spring
 
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Sophomore receiver Michael Thomas had a game-high seven catches for 79 yards and a TD, evoking memories of a year ago, when he had 12 catches in the spring game. He had only three catches during the season, though, and while he has improved, Meyer said he still has a way to go.

“He’s one of those guys that just makes these great plays and then makes mistakes,” Meyer said. “That’s just either lack of focus or it’s inconsistency, which great players don’t have.”
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http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...to-challenge-earns-starting-receiver-job.html
 
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Thomas is in an interesting situation right now. With Dontre, Jalin, Zeke, Hall, Spencer, and Corey Smith figuring to be factors this year where they were either not on the squad or in Spencer's case little utilized last year, it puts Thomas in a very intriguing spot. All of these guys will be coming in and filling a niche. Thomas just needs to find his and take advantage of his opportunities. We need a rangy WR like him and he can certainly impact this offense. What I am waiting to see is the process of guys stepping up and making their mark.

I imagine Urban is creating a sense of competion among all position groups. Impact the game and get PT, it's that simple. With so many different weapons it gives us the luxury of adapting to whichever group/players are effective. It will be awesome watching an offense with so many weapons and flexibility. I hope MT is a big part of it. He has the tools.
 
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osugrad21 said:
He has a point....but this isn't smart and won't end well for him...

11Warriors
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Def has a point, and I can understand where his frustration is coming from....but like always, you keep this in house, you certainly don't make a public display of it with a teammate....

In the end, you don't want to put yourself in a position to be made an example of with an angry Urban....hopefully he learns his lesson, runs plenty of extra sprints, and uses that to push him to become a red zone & possession threat we could certainly use.
 
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