Freshman Zavion Thomas has the eye of Mike Leach early in Fall Camp

Zavion Thomas comes to Mississippi State as a four-star wide receiver in the Class of 2022. He’s already caught the eye of Air Raid head coach Mike Leach.

“He’s been really explosive in the offseason and has done a lot of really good things,” Mike Leach said of Zavion Thomas to reporters. “And, I think, yeah, we are gonna have to check him out and see if he’s ready to play. I mean, you got to give him a little time in order to, you know, learn things, get comfortable. But, no, he’s explosive and does a lot of good things.”

That’s high praise from Mike Leach for Zavion Thomas. It’s difficult to stand out in any FBS conference as a freshman, let alone the SEC. The fact that Thomas is standing out for his athletic ability before getting a year or so in the team’s strength and conditioning program is a good sign.

Given Leach’s offensive system, there will be plenty of opportunities for reps for Zavion Thomas. He has to take advantage of those opportunities and continue to grow into a college receiver. Given this is Thomas’ starting point, he should be able to develop into an excellent wide receiver over the course of three or four seasons under Mike Leach.

Zavion Thomas’ recruitment

A true freshman, Zavion Thomas is a Louisiana native. He chose Mississippi State over schools like Florida State and Louisville and had 11 offers to choose from. Undersized, he was a little bit overlooked at his position, despite being the 39th ranked wide receiver in the class, according to On3.

Zavion Thomas committed to Mississippi State on Thanksgiving Day in 2021. He didn’t sign on the early signing day, though, waiting for February to sign his letter of intent. When Thomas did commit to Mississippi State, he simply tweeted, “#AirRaid.”