We’re back to dealing with defensive tackles and dealing with another Memphis, Tenn. area prospect who went to Briarcrest High School. Yes, Omari Thomas fits the mold of both Jabari Small and Dominic Bailey in different ways, and he should take a redshirt just like they should.
Everything we said about the defensive line position for Tennessee football with Bailey applies here. The Vols are loaded with four seniors, five players who have experience starting at the position and six players who have seen some sort of action. Again, they are as deep as you could be there, and that leaves little room for freshmen to see the field.
However, Bailey at least has a chance to surprise some people and turn some heads given the fact that he was an early enrollee. He did some workouts and had a couple of practices with the team in the spring.Thomas, on the other hand, arrived in the summer. As a result, he’s going to need a bit more time to be able to pick up the system, and he won’t be good to go in the fall.
A four-star commitment who stands at 6’5″ 301 pounds, Thomas certainly has the proper size to make an early impact. But he could use the development, particularly playing in Jeremy Pruitt’s and Derrick Ansley’s 3-4 scheme. That’s enough for us to say a redshirt would benefit him and the Vols greatly going forward, giving them the proper depth they need in the future up front.