OU signee Elijah Thomas earns Oklahoma Gatorade honor
OU head coach Brent Venables was quick to say he never had to worry about wide receiver signee Elijah Thomas.
No matter the number Thomas put up, no matter the schools trying to convince him to change. Never had to worry.
But now you understand. Thomas was named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year this weekend, marking the first time a Checotah player has earned the honor.
“Elijah Thomas is an absolute gem,” Checotah head coach Larry Newton said. “He is an outstanding human being. Represents his school, town, county and state like no other player can. He’s also the best football player I’ve seen in a long while.”
Thomas signed with the definition of zero drama Wednesday. He put up some impressive numbers on both offense and defense.
Once he arrives in Norman, though, it’s offense that is the calling. Even if he has been trying to convince the coaches he can play both sides.
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“Elijah Thomas, one of the fastest players and most explosive players in the country here form Checotah,” Venables said. “And Elijah can do a lot. He can play on either side of the ball. He sends Coach Hall and I, we’ve got a little three man group text, he sends us his weekly defensive highlights as a safety. As a tackling, intercepting — and he’s just one of the most-low maintenance players that I’ve ever been part of recruiting.
“He was our first commitment in July of 2023 and everybody in the country when they found out about Elijah came after him. And he had no interest whatsoever. He’s truly Sooner born and Sooner bred.”
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound senior wideout and free safety amassed more than 2,400 yards of total offense this past season, pulling down 72 receptions for 1,803 yards and 26 touchdowns and leading the Wildcats (8-5) to the Class 3A semifinals. Thomas also rushed for 406 yards and 10 scores in addition to returning six kickoffs for a 39-yard average and a touchdown. On defense, he recorded 82 tackles, four interceptions, eight passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Gatorade honor
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Thomas as Oklahoma‘s best high school football player, and he joins an impressive group of alumni that spans CEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Emmitt Smith (1986-87, Escambia High School, Fl.), Peyton Manning (1993-94, Isidore Newman School, La.) and DJ Lagway (2023-24, Willis High School, Texas).
