Jacob Thomas Discusses Pitt Commitment

Interviewing Jacob Thomas, the first commitment in the 2027 class for the Pitt Panthers.

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PITTSBURGH — Many Pitt Panthers fans were likely surprised on Saturday when the coaching staff landed its first commitment of the 2027 recruiting class.

Even in this era of college football recruiting, this time of year would be considered relatively early for a 2026 prospect to pull the trigger on a college decision. So, without question, it’s particularly early for a varsity sophomore to announce a pledge on March 1. 

Even so, whether or not some believe it was premature for Jacob Thomas to give a commitment to the Pitt staff this week, he isn’t bothered by that notion. 

With the way the Panthers coaches have conducted themselves so far in his recruitment, he was more than happy to kick off Pitt’s 2027 recruiting class. 

He’s a lightning-fast receiver out of Hollywood, Florida, a region known for producing fantastic skill position players. Last May, the rising junior playmaker clocked a 10.71 in the 100-meter sprint, listing a 10.6 as his top time in his profile on X. 

As only a sophomore at Charles W. Flanagan High School, he put together 27 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns. He also recorded 11 kickoff returns for 290 yards and a touchdown along with two punt returns for 25 yards It’ll be interesting to see Thomas build upon that campaign through the next two varsity season and into the college level which, as of today, is set to go down in Pittsburgh. 

Inside the Panthers connected with Thomas shortly after he announced his pledge on Saturday. 

I wasn’t expecting to see a commitment to Pitt today but here we are. What led you to make that decision today?

“What led me to commit there is I keep in contact almost every day with them. We talk about how I can fit in that system, but not only just football, becoming a young man and growing up in life, that they really love me for me and that stands out to me. So, I feel like that’s a place I could call home.”

Can you tell me more about your thoughts on Pitt’s coaches? 

“Those are some great guys, man. I feel like they love me and I could fit in their system very well. He was telling me how he runs his plays and stuff and how my speed is very rare to find, and they always keep in touch with me. 

“I love that about them and they tell me how, if I come, I'll be challenged week in and week out in practice and stuff like that. So, I just feel like it was a great fit for me.”

I was watching your clips there on Twitter from the Mississippi State camp. It looks like you’ve got really good speed and it looks like you work on those routes often.

Can you tell me a little bit about that? It looks like you've got a track background, and it looks like you work pretty hard at the receiver position.

“Yes, I put in extra work every day, day in and day out, ‘cause I know I'm not the biggest, so I’ve got to find a way to separate myself from everybody else. 

Like, these 6-4 receivers, they’ve got the height. I don't. I'm only like 5-9, 5-10, and I don't weigh that much, so I’ve got to find a way to stand out. And my speed and me working extra hard, that separates me.”

*The aforementioned footage is shown below*

Had A Great Camp At Mississippi State University! pic.twitter.com/wRdjUdf22x

— Jacob Thomas (@1gump_) June 14, 2024

Can you tell me more about your background down there in Florida and a bit about your family? 

“My background, my cousins are Dalvin Cook and James Cook. They're in the NFL right now. My brother is Jamel Cook. He played at USC and South Carolina. I’ve just always been around football since I was young. 

“My dad played in college. He played receiver. So, football just runs in the family.”

Holy smokes. Sounds like you come from a serious football family.

“Yes, sir.”

Tell me about like how your commitment came together today and what the reactions were like around you.

“Everyone's surprised and (ask) me why I committed so early. ‘Why didn't you wait, you could get more offers.’

“I said, ‘No, this is my home right here. I feel like this is where I fit in at.”

What are your plans for this off-season in terms of getting up to visit Pitt?

“I plan on going up there in the spring or the summer. I'm trying to go as soon as possible to meet all the coaches, see the environment and the facilities and stuff like that.”

Last season, Pitt’s new offensive coordinator ran an offense that is surely an exciting scheme in the eyes of receivers like yourself. Thoughts on that?

“Yeah, he told me they have a spread-type of offense…I think I actually could fit in that offense cause he spread the ball around. He puts the ball in the playmaker's hands and just let them do what they do. And I feel like that's perfect for me.”

When I watch your film and check out your speed and abilities, you seem like the kind of receiver that's not just going to be confined to the slot, that you can move around to create mismatches with your speed. And it looks like you could be used a lot in gadget plays, jet sweeps, different types of screens to get the ball in your hands in space. 

Is that how you see yourself? Tell me a bit about the style of receiver you can see yourself being at the next level.

“Where I see myself being at the next level is wherever my coach needs me, I'm going to go. I feel like I'm (not just) one type of receiver. I could do anything you need me to do, run the ball, run routes, go deep, anything. I can make a short play turn into a 50-yard touchdown.”

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

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