Redshirt freshman wide receiver Thayer Thomas had his hard work pay off by being awarded with a scholarship Saturday.
Thomas is expected to help the Wolfpack in their wide receiver rotation and also in the return game. NC State has the difficult task of trying to replace running back Nyheim Hines, who handled both kick returns and punt returns last year.
Thomas was able to prove he had reliable hands by catching punts in rainy conditions during the Kay Yow Spring Game on April 7 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
“He seems like a kid who has had it [work ethic] since he was young,” said NC State head coach Dave Doeren this spring. “He is just every day the same person, who works really hard. He has a good skill set. He catches the ball well. He understands the game and has a high football IQ.”
Thomas was standout receiver at Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage, which also has produced NCSU freshmen Ricky Person Jr, a running back, and defensive end Joseph Boletepeli. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Thomas caught 74 passes for 965 yards and seven touchdowns his senior year at Heritage, where he played for former Wolfpack star Dewayne Washington.
“It’s about being opportunistic when you get a chance in the rotation, which he has this spring,” Doeren said. “He has been in there with the twos and the ones.”
NC State is also actively recruiting Thomas’ younger brother, four-star class of 2019 middle linebacker Drake Thomas, who also plays for Heritage High.
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