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Position: S
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 200
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va
High School: Klempsville HS
Year: RS Sophomore
Mason Thomas was a rated as a 2 star recruit by Scout and Rivals and a 1 star recruit by ESPN. Scout and Rivals had him as a Safety, while ESPN had him as a WR. He did not have any offers from FBS schools other than Virginia. He could've gone to an FCS school, and perhaps been a higher profile guy, but he had always wanted to attend Virginia and he jumped at the scholarship offer.
Thomas is a high character guy, who gets along on grit and effort as much as on size and athleticism. Although he's pretty fast, probably around a 4.5 guy, he's on the smaller side for a S and doesn't have the lateral quickness that some DBs have. Thomas played extensively this past season on special teams, and will probably continue in that role.
Although the Hoos struggled at S last year, Thomas never got any looks there. While unsurprising for a redshirt freshman, it still does not bode well for his future there. Especially not with some very good Safety prospects coming into the program (Malcolm Cook, Quin Blanding).
Thomas has the type of athletic profile to be a very good special teams guy. That is likely to be his role for the next 3 years. He could also potentially be a guy who switches over to WR at some point, if that is needed. He profiles as a pretty solid WR with his height and speed. Most FCS schools that recruited him looked at him as an athlete who could play either side of the field.