Nov 24, 2012; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas (3) rushes the ball after Virginia Cavaliers defensive end Mike Moore (32) missed a tackled during the first half at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-US PRESSWIRE
Heading into this season I, like many others, was extremely intrigued by the huge upside of Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas. I thought if he just made a moderate improvement on his sophomore year, he could be an early first round pick.
There wasa lot to like. Thomas had a solid season last year in his first year as a starter. He wasn’t a game-breaker, but he also didn’t turn the ball over a ton and managed to make some impressive throws.
Measurables have always been the headline when talking about Logan Thomas. When you sculpt a prototypical QB, you draw a tall, well built individual that is mobile enough to elude defenders and has a cannon strapped to their throwing shoulder. Thomas stands at 6’6″ and 250 pounds and has one of the strongest arms in college football.
Sure, he was rough around the edges. He rarely squared up when throwing on the run. He threw deep balls off of his back foot, negating his arm strength. He often got lazy in the pocket and rarely set his feet correctly. In general his footwork was just awful.
He took off running a lot, but many expected that in the Virginia Tech offense, and it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Thomas was an effective runner for being such a big body, and he showed that if he were to be flushed out of the pocket, he could gallop for first downs. All of these issues looked like mere flaws in the massive pile of potential that was 2011 Logan Thomas.
Enter 2012 Logan Thomas, and now some are questioning if he will even be drafted at the QB position next year..
I am not ready to give up on him yet. I do not trust that he is getting proper QB coaching at VT and think that he is not too far gone with his technique. For some prospects who aren’t getting proper coaching, I would insist that they leave early. I do not feel that way with Thomas.
He needs to go back and review tape. Lots of tape. He repeats mistakes in coverage. If you can do nothing else as a college quarterback, the most valuable thing you can do is learn from mistakes in coverage. Thomas is repeating mistakes and finding all new ways to make mistakes that he hadn’t made in the past.
Mel Kiper still believes Thomas is a first round pick as a QB. I think if he declares that he would be a mega-project on day two. I don’t think he sniffs round one, but I said the same about Brandon Weeden.
Please stay in school, meet with your coaches, and learn from your mistakes. You have so much upside and potential it is nuts. It would be a shame to rely on all that potential without being proactive in preparing it for the next level.