Walk-on Thayer Thomas poised to make an impact

The NC State football team was able to practice outside in the cooler, wetter conditions Tuesday, giving the opportunity for special teams to get emphasized.

NC State star all-purpose back Nyheim Hines was a game-breaker on punt and kick returns last year. Hines’ departure to the NFL a year early has created great competition for both spots. Head coach Dave Doeren said fifth-year senior cornerback Maurice Trowell, redshirt junior wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, fifth-year senior wide receiver Stephen Louis, redshirt freshman running back Erin Collins and redshirt freshman wide receiver Thayer Thomas are competing for the kickoff return duties.

Meyers and Thomas will also get a crack at the punt returning job.

Tuesday was the first day the Wolfpack were able to practice on kick returns.

“It has been hard in the kicking game in trying to replace our returners,” Doeren said. “We were getting out there catching the ball and we worked on our kick return out there today. It was good to be out there and have to deal with the elements.”

Thomas is starting to carve out a niche for the Wolfpack after arriving from Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage as a walk-on. The 6-1, 185-pounder caught 74 passes for 965 yards and seven touchdowns his senior year at Heritage, where he played for former Wolfpack star Dewayne Washington.

NC State is actively recruiting Thomas’ younger brother, star class of 2019 middle linebacker Drake Thomas, who also plays for Heritage High. Doeren has gotten to know the family well over the last couple of years.

Doeren has been impressed with Thomas’ work ethic.

“He seems like a kid who has had it [work ethic] since he was young,” Doeren said. “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.”

NC State prides itself on having capable walk-ons, with some eventually working their way into the starting lineup or two deep. Thomas could be the next contributor.

“He is sneaky, too; he runs by a lot of people,” Doeren said. “It’s just about how [a walk-on] can handle it early on. We treat all those guys the same. The walk-ons are treated exactly like everybody else on the roster. They get the same opportunities.

“It’s about being opportunistic when you get a chance in the rotation, which he has this spring. He has been in there with the twos and the ones.”