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Tennessee football’s top 10 in-state players for 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) during a game against Pittsburgh at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Pittsburgh Football
Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) during a game against Pittsburgh at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Pittsburgh Football /
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Tennessee defensive lineman Omari Thomas (21) exits the field after Tennessee’s 41-17 loss to Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football
Tennessee defensive lineman Omari Thomas (21) exits the field after Tennessee’s 41-17 loss to Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football /

Defensive lineman. Junior. Omari Thomas. 839. Pick Analysis. 2. player. Scouting Report

6’4″ 320 pounds

Heading back to Memphis, where a lot of the upper-echelon of in-state talent for Tennessee football hails from on this year’s team, Omari Thomas is about to see a dramatic role increase. LaTrell Bumphus, Elijah Simmons and he are expected to be the main guys to offset the departures of Matthew Butler, Caleb Tremblay and Ja’Quain Blakely.

However, the graduate of Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tenn., which is still in Shelby County, is the one returning player among those three who saw significant action last year. Thomas was starting alongside Butler when he was fully healthy, so he was just as crucial.

For the season, Thomas registered five tackles for a loss, a sack, four pass deflections, four forced fumbles and 18 total tackles, 10 of which were solo. He played over 300 snaps and had a PFF regular season grade over 66, so despite the changes and the adjustments, his play was still solid.

Now, he’s expected to take it up a notch. Thomas is among six returning starters on this list, but he has some of the most proven production of all of them, especially on defense. That’s enough to put him so high up on this list. There’s a chance he’s this season’s biggest breakout player.

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