Alabama DB excited about UCF offer
New UCF head coach Gus Malzahn said in his introductory press conference they were going get after it in recruiting. He wasn't kidding.
Malzahn and his recently-completed staff have issued more than 40 offers in the past 10 days, including one on Thursday to Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic defensive back Jourdan Thomas.
Thomas, who is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, learned about the offer during conversation with defensive coordinator Travis Williams and cornerbacks coach Addison Williams.
"Coach Travis Williams said that he liked how versatile I am and how I'm able to play every DB position there is in the back end," Thomas said. "Overall, they both said they just loved how I play the game."
Being from Alabama, Thomas was already very familiar with Travis Williams, who had been the co-DC and linebackers coach at Auburn prior to joining Malzahn's staff at UCF.
"I already knew Coach T-Will when he was at Auburn," Thomas said. "He just told me how much UCF has to offer me, a little about the state and all the different activities I can do. He told me how the whole UCF program is about to change into one of the top collegiate schools in the nation!"
Thomas is beginning to learn more about UCF, but knows he's already a big fan of the coaching staff.
"I love Coach T-Will and Coach (Addison) Williams," Thomas said. "They're both great coaches and they're both energetic. I know Coach Malzahn just arrived there and I know they are getting ready to do something big in Orlando. They are about to change the narrative that UCF has had for quite some time now. They produce All Americans and I like that. Richie Grant was a Jim Thorpe finalist coming out of UCF which was a major deal. So I feel like that program has a lot to offer and ultimately it is a great school academically and athletically."
So far, Thomas has accumulated offers from Indiana, Akron, Troy, Marshall, Western Kentucky, Coastal Carolina, South Carolina, Tulane, Georgia State, South Alabama, Arkansas State and Army.
"Some things I'll look for in a school are the people, coaches and teammates who take care of the program and actually take pride in the program," Thomas said in a prior interview with Rivals. "If you take pride in the program, you'll keep things nice and care about each other on the campus. I would like to go to a program with a good weight program, good education, and great coaches that can develop me at the defensive back position in order to get to the NFL, which is my dream."
