'09 SC OT Brandon Thomas (Clemson Verbal)

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'09 SC OT Brandon Thomas



Offensive tackle
Spartanburg (SC) Dorman

Ht: 6-foot-4
Wt: 280 lbs
Class: 2009 (High School)

PalmettoSports.com | South Carolina Recruiting | Phil Kornblut | GoUpstate.com

Dorman OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 280) will play tight end this season but his coach Dave Gutshall says the colleges will recruit him for the offensive line. He played tackle as a junior, and played the entire season with a broken arm which required surgery after the season. "He's intense," Gutshall said. "He has great footwork and soft hands. He's really good in space." Thomas also is a basketball player though he had to miss this season with the broken arm. He has offers from North Carolina and Maryland according to Gutshall, and is close to landing one from Clemson. Thomas plans to attend a junior day at North Carolina this weekend, and he plans to attend Clemson's junior day on the 23rd. He was at USC's junior day earlier this month and the Gamecocks just received new film on him.

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Wednesday Dorman High coach Dae Gutshall said USC and Clemson were on the verge of offering his big OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 280). Thursday, Thomas got those offers. "Clemson call last night and said they were going to offer," Gutshall said. "I had him call their office around 8:30 this morning. USC called right after that and I had him call them around 3:30 this afternoon. He was grinning from ear to ear. He wanted both of them to offer. He was awfully happy that they offered. I asked him if he had his mind madeup and he told me know." Thomas also has offers from North Carolina and Maryland. He has been to junior days at USC, Clemson and North Carolina. Thomas played tackle as a junior but will move to tight end this seasson. He played all of last season in a cast due to a broken arm he suffered in the pre-season.

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PalmettoSports.com | South Carolina Recruiting | Phil Kornblut | GoUpstate.com

OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 280) of Dorman now holds offers from USC, Clemson, North Carolina, Maryland and Vanderbilt. And more should be on the way. "So far, everybody that's watched him on film have offered," said Dorman coach Dave Gutshall. "I sent Wake Forest film today." NC State and Georgia Tech also are very interested. Thomas attended a practice at Clemson last week and is thinking about returning to Clemson next week for a tour of campus. He attended junior days at Clemson, USC and North Carolina. He will go to North Carolina's spring game April 5th. Thomas said Clemson likes him as a guard, and USC sees him as a tackle. "I'm wide open," Thomas said. "I grew up as a Tar Heel fan. I'm still liking the Tar Heels but that's not a factor with the decision."

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PalmettoSports.com | South Carolina Recruiting | Phil Kornblut | GoUpstate.com

OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 280) of Dorman did not make it to Clemson Saturday for the spring game because he was taking the ACT, but he's thinking about making another trip to the campus this week. "I'll call coach Napier this week to talk about visiting again," Thomas said. He's been to Clemson a few times, so is the thought of committing to the Tigers in his mind? "I'm thinking about it strongly," Thomas said. "They are in state and close to home. You've got to stay somewhere where your mom can watch you. And it's an academic school. They told me to take my time and if I want to commit, they'll take it. If I make a commitment, I'll do it in person." Thomas also has offers from USC, North Carolina, Maryland and Vanderbilt. He will not attend USC's spring game this Saturday because of an AAU basketball tournament.

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4/16

From the Clemson site. Thomas says he missed the Clemson spring game, but will make a trip to Clemson soon. He says the rumors of him being close to giving his verbal are false.

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http://www.goupstate.com/article/200...211/-1/PSPORTS

Coaches from USC, North Carolina and NC State have been by Dorman this week to check on OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 286), and he's expecting Clemson next week. Thomas said USC recruiter Brad Lawing was at the school Tuesday and remains very interested in him. And he said he talked to Clemson recruiter Billy Napier about three or four weeks ago. Thomas said he almost made a decision to commit to Clemson last month. "I did feel that way because I thought I was going to have to make my decision early," Thomas said. "But coach Napier and Brad Scott said anytime I want to commit they'll take it, but don't rush it." Thomas said he will take other visits and plans to set up official visits with North Carolina, Clemson, USC, Maryland and Vanderbilt. He has offers from those five. Thomas said USC, Clemson and North Carolina are his top three and they are even.

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5/11

From the SC Prep site. Story on how Brandon blew up at the Scout/UA Charlotte combine this weekend. He is described as one of the best there, and someone who is set to make a big move in the rankings.

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OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 280) of Dorman is expecting a call from Clemson coach Tommy Bowden tonight at 9:00 PM, and he said early Tuesday evening there's a chance he'll commit to Bowden on that call. "I don't know, we'll have to wait and see," Thomas said. "I'm pretty high on Clemson right now. There's a better than average chance (of a commitment)." Clemson recruiters Billy Napier and Brad Scott watched Thomas practice Tuesday.

PalmettoSports.com | South Carolina Recruiting | Phil Kornblut | GoUpstate.com

OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 280) of Dorman did talk to Clemson coach Tommy Bowden Tuesday night but he did not commit to the Tigers' head man. "We just talked about recruiting," Thomas said. "He wants me to come down there for camp this summer. He said a guy from Texas had committed because he was tired of the recruiting and he didn't want me to go thru that. He asked if Clemson was still on top of my list and I said yes. He asked when I wanted to commit and I said the end of the summer or early in the season." Thomas said he's also still considering USC and North Carolina.

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7/4

Clemson leads South Carolina and Tennessee.

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7/9

From the Clemson site. Committed to Clemson. Thomas is strong with his verbal and will not be changing his mind. Location was the main factor, but academics and atmosphere also played a role in his choice.

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8/4

From the Clemson site. Thomas took another trip to Clemson this weekend to watch practice and thinks he will pick up on the scheme Clemson runs quickly because it's the same one he runs in high school. He is already recruiting '11 WR Charon Peake to come to Clemson.

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PalmettoSports.com | South Carolina Recruiting | Phil Kornblut | GoUpstate.com

OL Brandon Thomas (6-4 285) of Dorman committed to Clemson in July and is 80% sure that Clemson is the school for him. But he is still hearing from Tennessee and USC and said Sunday he intends to take official visits to each as well as Clemson. "Clemson is close to home and my mom likes it. They make me feel like a part of the family out there," Thomas said. He has taken a couple of unofficial visits to USC already and has met with offensive line coach John Hunt. "I've been down there (Columbia) and met with the coaches and players. Coach (John) Hunt seems like a cool guy. It's pretty nice there. I liked the campus." Still, Thomas said he is firm on his commitment with Clemson. He is currently working on getting stronger and improving his technique and footwork. He also has offers from North Carolina, Maryland, Vanderbilt, NC State, Virginia, and Kentucky.