Just noticed this was not posted before. Dated Friday Sept 4 ...
https://www.campusrush.com/ohio-state-buckeyes-michael-thomas-florida-gators-1330399555.html
The 6' 3", 210-pound Thomas has recently emerged as a favorite of draft experts. ESPN's Todd McShay lists him as the top receiver in the country and as a top 10 player. McShay's ESPN colleague, Mel Kiper, ranks Thomas as the second-best receiver and at No. 21. For Thomas, the attention is nice, but he is locked in on dominating in 2015. "First of all, we have to win," he says. "And my goal is to not just get open, but to get really open. It's not about me at the end of the day."
Nothing could have seemed more unlikely just a few years ago, when Thomas was struggling for attention coming as a senior at Taft High. Johnson says that his nephew's only offers were from such remote schools as Oregon State and Oklahoma State. "Lane Kiffin didn't want to pull the trigger at USC and Steve Sarkisian didn't want to at Washington," Johnson says. "Same with Jeff Tedford at Cal. I told them, 'Either I'm stupid or I'm dumb. I don't know you all [aren't] seeing.' "
To mature physically and improve his recruiting stock, Thomas chose prep school for the 2011 season. But at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, he wasn't even the most highly regarded player in his own dorm room—future Buckeyes teammate Cardale Jones commanded more attention. After Thomas caught 23 passes for 497 yards and seven touchdowns for the Blue Devils, however, the offers began pouring in. He chose Ohio State in part because of the Buckeyes' dearth of playmakers. Thomas played a small role as a true freshman in 2012 (catching three passes for 22 yards), redshirted in '13 and enjoyed a breakout season last year, with 54 catches and nine touchdowns.
Rather than relying on speed and athleticism to get open, Thomas prides himself as a technician and a sophisticated route runner. He's proven to be an invaluable tutor to Miller, helping to teach the former quarterback the nuances of his new position this summer. What's impressed Smith most about Thomas is that he's constantly demanding more coaching, more insight and more criticism. And with every big catch, Uncle Keyshawn has more reasons to remind his coaching buddies about what they missed out on.
"I stick it to them coaches every chance I get," Johnson says. "I sent Sark an article the other day, and he wrote back, 'I can admit when I'm wrong.' "
Cont'd ...