NORMAN – At the snap, Elijah Thomas faked to his right before bolting to his left around the cornerback for the corner of the endzone.
Thomas, who had just one step on Maliek Hawkins, saw the ball in the air and leapt for it. Hawkins put himself in a position to make the catch as tough as possible, and Thomas prevailed anyway. While in the air, the 6-foot, 194-pound true freshman initially caught the ball with one hand before placing both around the ball to protect it, while getting both feet in bounds for the score in the 1-on-1 rep at practice. The exciting play was one of the best from the team during the quick competitive session on Monday and certainly earned some more respect for what Thomas can do.
When Thomas joined Oklahoma, he had been known for his freakishly athletic plays that helped him dominate both sides of the ball at Checotah (OK) High School just one year ago. For most freshmen, it takes time before they continue to make plays at the college level. But it's clear Thomas isn't a normal freshman wide receiver. He's adapted well to the competition, and after spring camp and a week into fall camp, he's impressed many of his teammates and coaches.