Florida State Star Cornerback Unsure About Future In Tallahassee

There are some Seminoles with decisions to make now that the 2024 season is over.

Sep 14, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Azareye'h Thomas (8) warms up before a game against the Memphis Tigers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

With the 2024 season over in Tallahassee before the beginning of December, there are plenty of players across Florida State's roster with decisions to make. Whether that's remaining with the Seminoles, testing the NFL Draft waters, or hitting the NCAA Transfer Portal, the next couple of weeks are going to be a busy period from the top to the bottom of the program.

Junior cornerback Azareye'h Thomas wrapped up his third season in garnet and gold on Saturday night. Despite a 2-10 campaign, Thomas was a bright spot on Florida State's defense. He had a career year, starting in all 12 games and totaling 52 tackles, two tackles for loss, four pass deflections, and one interception. Thomas played the most snaps (755) of any Seminole and logged nearly 200 more snaps than the next closest defender (Patrick Payton, 579).

With premium size (6-foot-2, 198 pounds) and good coverage skills, Thomas is starting to find himself listed in more and more mock drafts, with some even projecting him in the first round. He admitted that he's still weighing his options and isn't sure if he'll return to FSU in 2025.

"Nah, I haven't made a final decision yet. I got time to think about it and pray on it and just allow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to lead me in the way that he wants me to go," Thomas said after the loss to UF. "I know that he's already ordered my steps so I'm going to keep praying on it and wherever my spirit leads me, that's what I'm going to roll with."

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Thomas signed with Florida State in 2022 as a four-star prospect. He spent his first year under former defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson but stuck with the program when Patrick Surtain Sr. took over the room in 2023. Thomas broke into the two-deep as a contributor during his sophomore season prior to becoming a full-time starter this year.

The Seminoles went 23-4, winning 19 straight games and an ACC Championship during Thomas's first two years in garnet and gold. He's not convinced that one bad season defines Mike Norvell or Florida State. Thomas believes the program can turn things around quickly if they learn from this experience.

"A bad season don't make a bad team, a bad season don't make a bad coach, it's life. Yes, we wanted to make it to the natty, we wanted to do all this but we got hit in the mouth and life happened," Thomas said. "So are we going to pout about it, are we going to complain or are we going to grow from it and learn from it? If you try to look at it as a loss then you ain't going to never really learn but if you look at it as a lesson you can learn, you can grow from it, you can build, and you can stack upon it."

"I'm very confident in coach Norvell and I know when winter comes, if I choose to stay or if I don't, I know he's going to be on us," Thomas continued. "From the first day, there's going to be a standard and if you don't live up to that standard then there's going to be problems. I'm very confident in that man, I'm very confident in this team, I'm very confident in this program. Now we at the bottom, the only way is up."

Underclassmen have until January 27, 2025 - seven days after the national championship - to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.

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