On3 4-star safety Jhase Thomas commits to LSU: ‘It’s always been a dream of mine’
Destrehan (La.) four-star safety Jhase Thomas first started communicating with LSU during his freshman year. His connection with the SEC program changed after attending the LSU Elite Camp in June.
Thomas’ impressive showing earned him an offer from the Tigers on June 13. One month later, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound defensive back committed to head coach Brian Kelly and his staff over Houston and Ole Miss.
“Being a Louisiana kid, your dream is to get that LSU offer,” Thomas told On3. “It’s a dream that you grow up with, so being able to have the opportunity to go to that school is a dream come true. It’s always been a dream of mine that I’ve wanted to make happen.”
Thomas is excited to ‘stay in the Boot’ for his college football career
Thomas, who has visited Baton Rouge around 10 times, likes how the Tigers are known as “DBU” and send players at his position to the NFL. He is also excited to play college football in his home state, as “the best in The Boot stay in The Boot.”
After being offered by LSU, Thomas’ relationships with multiple Tigers coaches grew stronger. Building bonds with Kelly, secondary coach Corey Raymond, safeties coach Jake Olsen and associate head coach/running backs coach Frank Wilson made the No. 10 player in Louisiana feel even better about playing for LSU.
Heading into the LSU Elite Camp, Thomas started to feel that the Tigers were the right program for him. Once Kelly offered him, he told LSU’s head man that he “was going to be a Tiger.” Thomas still took official visits to Houston and Texas Tech in June, but followed up on his promise to Kelly after speaking with his parents.
“I feel like we’ll definitely be a national championship team this year,” said Thomas, the No. 270 overall prospect and No. 22 safety in the 2025 On300. “We’ll still be one when I get there.”
Thomas feels great around LSU’s coaching staff
One of the things that impresses Thomas most about LSU is the environment around the program. He has found that the Tigers’ players are disciplined and listen closely to what Kelly tells them.
Kelly is clearly “the leader of the team” to Thomas. The four-star has also found him to be someone who is fun to be around.
“He’s a very chill coach,” Thomas said. “… He has a very good personality. He can light up a room, for sure. He’s a very funny guy and a great coach.”
Two of the LSU coaches that Thomas is closest with are Olsen and Raymond. Olsen, who will be Thomas’ position coach when he gets to Baton Rouge, developed a very strong connection with the talented safety throughout his recruitment.
“We’ve been building our relationship since the first day that he contacted me,” Thomas said. “He texts and calls me every day. We stay in contact and talk to each other about football and life in general.”