Oklahoma DE R Mason Thomas' 'Full Tilt' Work Ethic Has Paid Dividends for the True Freshman

Despite missing significant time with a hamstring injury, R Mason Thomas still has five tackles and 0.5 sacks in his first season with the Sooners.

NORMAN — R Mason Thomas didn’t wait long to turn head at Oklahoma.

A summer enrollee, the true freshman defensive end was already drawing the praise of his teammates before playing his first snap for the Sooners.

“I’m telling you, R Mason is someone you’ve got to keep on your radar,” fellow defensive end Ethan Downs said before the season. “He is the fastest dude in the room right now. He came in, he was 17 years old just a week ago, and he’s faster than all of the D-Ends.

“… What’s he going to be when he’s got some weight on him, some experience, some confidence? R Mason’s going to be a dude. I’m going to be surprised if he’s not out of here in three years.”

Shortly after Downs gushed about his teammate, Thomas showed the world he was ready to play a role at OU from the jump.

The true freshman recorded two tackles and 0.5 sacks in his collegiate debut against UTEP, earning early playing time in the defensive end rotation.

And Thomas did it all while still playing undersized, as he’s only listed at 222 pounds.

Missing out on spring practice didn’t phase the young defensive end, as he’s no stranger to hard work.

Thomas can often be seen on the practice field well after many of his teammates have headed to the locker room, working through various pass rush moves with his fellow defensive ends.

Even more impressive, Thomas doesn’t think his propensity to stay and get extra work after practice is all that remarkable. To him, it’s just the logical next step on his path to chasing greatness.

“Ray Lewis, DK Metcalf, Shawn Taylor, they were great,” Thomas said after practice on Monday. “They stayed after practice every day, and it worked out with their success. DK Metcalf, I think he said in one interview how he will always get two extra reps in the weight room no matter what weight or what exercise they were doing.

“So if it works for them, it'll most likely work for me also. I know it will.”

On top of soaking in every extra rep in practice, Thomas also has been fortunate to see game action early on in his career. That experience has been valuable, as he’s been able to learn and grow based off what he’s put on film in limited action this year for the Sooners.

“It’s been a learning experience for sure,” he said. “I know as a d-lineman it takes time developing, getting stronger.

“… So I know with experience I know I just got to basically hone my skills and what I’m good at. Because I know I can’t throw people around right now. I can but it’s going to be a struggle right now. But I know… (Once) I get bigger and stronger it’s going to be a lot easier.”

Thomas’ progress was hampered by a hamstring injury that held him out of action for a few weeks.

But the setback on the field didn’t hamper his attitude off it, as he’s continued to be a bright spot for the Oklahoma defense.

“He’s got a light inside of him that is really special,” OU coach Brent Venables said on Tuesday. “Amazing young man. He’s a winner. Of course, he missed almost a month because of a hamstring injury. He’s wide open. He’s full tilt. He’s all the way on go every day. You have to slow him down.

“He’s thankful. He’s appreciative. I asked him what the highlight, so far, of college was. He talked about team bonding, the new relationships that he has been able to have. He didn’t talk anything about himself. ‘Oh, when I got my first tackle or my first play or when I ran in for the first time.’ Nothing like that. It was about the stuff that really matters that will have a sustainability the rest of his life. He has a great perspective.”

Though he was frustrated by the injury, Thomas quickly refocused.

Knowing he couldn’t go through practice physically, he locked in mentally to soak up all of the coaching points defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis was offering to the rest of his teammates.

“It was hard. I wanted to stay after but I knew I couldn’t put too much stress on my injury,” he said. “So it was hard at first. But once I just knew I — instead of putting that extra energy on the field I put it in the training room. And then now I’m just putting it in both places. Now it’s just working out pretty good.”

Coming off OU’s bye week, Thomas is feeling healthy again.

He returned to action against Texas, recording a pair of tackles, and Thomas followed that up with another tackle against Kansas in Oklahoma’s last contest.

Now Thomas is shaping up to factor into the defensive game plan yet again as the Sooners prepare to take on Iowa State, another school that heavily recruited him out of high school.

And as he attacks the final five games of the regular season, Thomas will continue to do everything he can during and after practice to earn more opportunities each Saturday.

“He shows up every day with a willingness and readiness to work,” Venables said. “He’s tough. You can coach him really hard. He has better awareness of himself than anybody else could possibly have. That’s why he’s created an opportunity for himself.

“He brings value to the team. Whatever space he’s in he brings value to it every day… He’s a lot of fun to be around.”

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