Oklahoma flips 4-star EDGE R Mason Thomas from Iowa State

Matt Campbell and Iowa State knew they were in for a fight when R Mason Thomas did not sign early. The four-star EDGE out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons committed to the Cyclones in July but chose to go another route on Signing Day.

The No. 284 prospect in the On3 Consensus has flipped to Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma has everything I am looking for,” Thomas told On3. “They have a lot of resources for life after football, they have a great alumni base, they have a great coaching staff, and the tradition is great.

“I am excited about the opportunities I have there. The opportunity is there for me to excel on and off the field and I know I made the right choice.”

Making a decision to change schools this late in the process is never easy. Thomas had established relationships with the Iowa State staff, but the final decision was not as hard as some may have expected it to be.

“It was tough, but not too tough because I was guided by God. I listened to Him. I prayed about it and He gave me the wisdom to know what I was looking for. God knew what I was looking for and He led me to it.”

R Mason Thomas made his final decision this week

Thomas went back and forth. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound pass rusher gave Miami some consideration too, but it came down to whether or not he wanted to stay with Iowa State or flip to Oklahoma.

That final decision was made Monday.

“I called Oklahoma Monday and let them know. Coach Chavis was the first coach I told, then they passed the phone around to coach Bates, coach Roof, coach Venables, and all of them.

“It was a great feeling. A lot of pressure left my shoulders and after that call, I felt it was released.”

Thomas is coming off back-to-back state titles, so he has played in big games and on the big high school before. He knows the next stage will be bigger and he is ready.

“I think I can take off at Oklahoma. I am really excited about playing on the big stage as an Oklahoma Sooner and showing my skill set on that level. People out there may not know a lot about me yet, so I am ready to shock the world.”

Brent Venables has to love the confidence in Thomas. The new Sooner is excited about who he will be playing for too.

“Coach Venables is real. He is a great guy and he has that passion. His style is great on defense, he cares about his players, and he wants the best for his players.

“I know coaching to Oklahoma that I will be coached by great people that care about me.”