Thomas solid with Texas Tech

The Texas Tech coaching staff has put a lot of emphasis on the defensive line class

for its 2016 class. The Red Raiders have eight defensive linemen on the commit

list, and the first to jump aboard was El Dorado (Kan.) Butler C.C. defensive tackle Mychealon Thomas. Thomas is the lone junior college recruit on defense for the 2016 class, and the three-star lineman has a lot of ties to the Red Raiders.

Thomas was offered by David Gibbs and Co. when Gibbs was at Houston and Thomas was a senior defensive lineman at Skyline High School; he also played at Skyline with current Tech commits Da'Leon Ward, Clarence Henderson, and Joseph Wallace. Thomas talks with Tech coaches Mike Smith, David Gibbs, Zac Spavital and Emmett Jones on a regular basis and has enjoyed what he has seen from the Tech defense so far this season.

WHAT'S NEXT?:

Thomas is rated as the No. 34 overall junior college player for the 2016 class. The 6-foot-3, 330-pound lineman has been a force in the middle for his Butler C.C. squad racking up 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a blocked kick through

eight games. Butler is currently undefeated on the season with a pristine 8-0 record and Thomas and his teammates are looking forward to finishing the season out strong.

Thomas has not visited Lubbock yet but will be looking to take his official visit sometime after his season.

He is on track to graduate in December and is excited to get to Lubbock and play with his

former teammates Ward, Henderson and Wallace.

IN HIS WORDS:

"Everything is good. I'm still 100 percent committed, I'm still solid, and I talk with the coaches every week," he said. "We mainly just talk about how I need to come down there and be a leader. They are losing a lot of senior defensive linemen and

coach Gibbs is counting on me to come in there and have an immediate impact."

OUR REACTION:

Thomas is an integral part of Texas Tech's defensive line class and his arrival

at semester should provide an immediate boost for the team in the spring. --

Aaron Dickens