Broken Arrow back Devon Thomas commits to Oklahoma State
BY KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Sunday, December 16, 2012
12/16/12 at 6:07 AM
Less than a week after decommitting from the University of Oklahoma, Broken Arrow junior running back Devon Thomas verbally committed to Oklahoma State.
Asked why he chose the Cowboys, Thomas said: "I like how everything is close together and it's a small town. It's close, so my mom and dad don't have to plan a huge trip to get there."
Thomas, 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, is a four-star prospect, according to Rivals.com. He is the Cowboys' first commitment for the Class of 2014.
"I love the coaches there, and I have one of my buddies who's going to be blocking for me," said Thomas, referencing former Tiger teammate Zac Veatch, who will be a redshirt freshman offensive lineman next season.
After committing to the Sooners on Nov. 19, Thomas decided to reopen his options Monday, saying he removed himself from the recruiting process too early and that he wanted to "see what else is out there."
When Thomas announced his commitment Saturday afternoon on Twitter, he received some negative responses from OU fans.
"That's another reason I'm actually happier where I'm at," Thomas said. "If I was to decommit from OSU, they'd say good luck.
"When I committed to OU, I still had (OU fans) saying, 'He's not going to stay eligible' or things like that. When I decommitted, all of them were like, 'Whatever, he's just scared of competition.' "
In addition to OSU and OU, Thomas has received offers from West Virginia, Clemson, Houston and others. He also has drawn interest from LSU and Notre Dame.
Thomas missed the first four games of 2012 for undisclosed reasons. As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,840 yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging 9.2 yards per carry. He also placed fifth in the 100 meters in last year's Class 6A state track meet.
Original Print Headline: BA back commits to Cowboys
Kelly Hines 918-581-8452
kelly.hines@tulsaworld.com
