Skip to main content
tennessee logo

Omari Thomas declares for 2025 NFL Draft, says goodbye to Tennessee Football

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•12/31/24•

GrantRamey

Omari Thomas
(Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK) Tennessee defensive lineman Omari Thomas (21) is seen on the field during a football game between Tennessee and UTSA at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

Omari Thomas announced on social media on Monday afternoon that he is declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. The Tennessee senior defensive lineman spent the last five seasons with the Vols, making 116 tackles in 61 career games.

The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Thomas had 23 tackles in 13 games this season, including one sack and a career-high six tackles for loss.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank God for blessing me and giving me the ability to be in this position. Next, I would like to say thank you to my family for all of the support and sacrifices on this journey from little league football to now. Words could never describe the amount of appreciation and love I have for y’all!

“To my teammates, I appreciate having the opportunity to come into work with y’all everyday and enjoying every piece of it. The relationships I’ve built will last forever from this brotherhood. I would also like to thank every coach who has helped me reach this point and a special thank you to the staff at Tennessee.

“Five years ago, I made a decision to attend Tennessee to be a part of the change and to be a part of something that’s bigger than myself. I will say, it has truly paid off, and I appreciate everyone for pushing me and continuing to help me grow as a person, on and off the field.

“I appreciate all of Vol Nation and their support every Saturday, home or away. Y’all are always a big part of keeping us going. Rocky Top will always be home to me #GBO #VFL

“With that being said, I WILL OFFICIALLY BE DECLARING FOR THE 2025 NFL DRAFT!”

Omari Thomas was a four-star recruit in 2020

Thomas had a career-high 35 tackles in 12 games last season and a career-high two sacks in 13 games in 2022. 

He signed with Tennessee out of Briarcrest Christian High School in Memphis. He was a four-star recruit in the class of 2020, ranked No. 95 overall. He was the No. 12 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee, ranked behind only defensive back Key Lawrence. 

Thomas during career helped Tennessee go from a 3-7 record during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the final year of the Jeremy Pruitt era, to a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff this season. 

Thomas had 10 tackles in 10 games as a freshman, 21 in 13 games as a sophomore in 2021 and 27 as a junior in 2022. He opted to return for a fifth year of eligibility this season. 

You may also like