HawgBeat - What Arkansas is getting in linebacker transfer Jaheim Thomas
Here's what Arkansas is getting in new linebacker transfer Jaheim Thomas from Cincinnati.
arkansas.rivals.com
Arkansas has had good production from the linebacker room in recent years, and things seem to be looking up next year with the return of Christopher "Pooh" Paul Jr., along with the addition of South Florida transfer Antonio Grier Jr.
On Monday, the Razorbacks received more help in that department with the commitment of Cincinnati linebacker transfer Jaheim Thomas. A Cincinnati native and three-year player for the Bearcats, Thomas entered the transfer portal April 16 and found a new home a little over two weeks later.
Thomas had a breakout season in 2022, ranking third on the Bearcats with 70 tackles and second with 6.5 tackles for loss. Against Arkansas in last year's season opener, he recorded seven tackles, including half a tackle for loss.
Arkansas lost two linebackers to eligibility and the NFL Draft, with the Denver Broncos selecting Drew Sanders and Bumper Pool signing a free-agent deal with the Carolina Panthers. The Hogs also lost Jordan
Hanna and Jackson Woodard to the transfer portal.
With that said, here is a closer look at what Arkansas is getting in Thomas.
Taking a look at Thomas' numbers
Ranked a 5.8 four-star recruit in the class of 2020, Thomas was the No. 167 player and No. 14 linebacker in the nation, according to Rivals. He committed to the hometown Bearcats out of Princeton High School
over a slew of high-level programs, including Kentucky, LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee and others.
As a transfer recruit, Rivals once again gave Thomas a 5.8 four-star ranking, rating him as the No. 127 player in the portal.
During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Thomas only appeared in four games, allowing him to retain his redshirt. He saw even more production the following season in 2021, playing in 12 games and recording 23 total tackles with a half TFL.
As mentioned above, his best season was in 2022, when he recorded 70 total tackles, including 6.5 for loss and two sacks.
Those numbers would have finished third among Razorbacks last year, but the two players with better stats are no longer on the team. Thomas finished the season with eight more sacks than Paul and 1.5 fewer tackles for loss and two fewer sacks.
With new defensive coordinator Travis Williams wanting to run more 4-3 on defense, having another reliable, veteran presence in the linebacker room is going to pay massive dividends.
What Pro Football Focus says about Thomas
While statistics can tell one side of the story, another way to get a complete picture of a player's impact is through Pro Football Focus grades. Rather than look at just the stats, PFF grades look at a players total performance based on the amount of snaps he plays.
Over the course of Thomas' three seasons with Cincinnati, he saw his PFF grade increase every year. In 2020, he posted a total grade of 58.2, and that mark grew to 62.8 in 2021. His biggest jump, though, came in 2022, when he notched a 74.7 total grade.
The low grade in 2020 can likely be attributed to the fact he simply did not play a lot.
Playing a total of 522 snaps last season, Thomas primarily set up in the box, where he saw 297 of his total snaps. Nearly half the snaps he played were against running plays, and 205 of were against passing plays. He also played 79 total snaps on special teams.
PFF grades for linebackers are split into three separate categories: run defense, pass defense and coverage defense. The total grade is then averaged out from those three scores.
Thomas's run defense last season was 80.6, and his pass rush grade was 84.1. Where he struggled the most was in coverage, where he posted a grade of 51.9.
For comparison, Sanders' total defense grade last year was 79.2. His run defense was almost a full 10 points behind Thomas and slightly under nine points behind his pass rush grade.
Interestingly, Thomas and Paul's PFF grades look similar. Paul, who played a total of 617 snaps last season, posted a total grade of 76.2. His run defense grade was 71.8, his pass rush grade was 83.5 and his coverage grade was 65.7.
Taking a look at the tape on Thomas
Watching video the last two years of Thomas' play, what sticks out the most is his motor. Playing the outside linebacker spot, he's asked to rush the quarterback and contain running backs before they get to the outside. Regularly, I watched him beat the tackle to cause disruption in the backfield.
One thing that will be interesting to see when he gets to Fayetteville is how he fills into the role Sanders left. Last season, the Alabama transfer was the SEC leader in sacks for the majority of the season.
Williams has said he wants to put more pressure on the quarterback in 2023. With Thomas coming in, how well will he be able to cut loose and rush the quarterback? From watching his play, it seems to be something he excels at, even though statistically he hasn't racked up nearly as many sacks as one would think.
One of the intangibles with Thomas comes from experience. He not only was a part of the roster when Cincinnati played in the College Football Playoff, but was a regular contributor with the first team in that run.
While he won't arrive in Fayetteville for a while, look for Thomas to become someone the defense relies heavily on in 2023.
Arkansas Linebacker Scholarship Distribution
~ Antonio Grier Jr. - super senior
~ Jaheim Thomas - redshirt junior
~ Chris Paul Jr. - redshirt sophomore
~ Mani Powell - sophomore
~ Jordan Crook - sophomore
~ Kaden Henley - redshirt freshman
~ %Carson Dean - freshman
~ %Brad Spence - freshman
~ %Alex Sanford - freshman
