Story by
The Woodward News, Okla.
Elijah Thomas primed for breakout year with OU football backed by his maturation
- Story byThe Woodward News, Okla.
- Elijah Thomas primed for breakout year with OU football backed by his maturation
Elijah Thomas had high expectations when he stepped on OU's campus last spring.
He had all the talent to get onto the field, but he needed to mature and transition from small town Oklahoma high school football to big-time SEC football — he feels he's ready to take on that challenge in Year 2 with the Sooners .
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Thomas, a sophomore wide receiver for OU football, has been impressive so far throughout the Sooners' fall camp. When they run out for the first game of the season Friday against UTEP at 7 p.m. inside Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Thomas is listed as a co-starter on the depth chart and is expected to contribute in his second season.
"Massive maturation. A lot of maturation in my process," Thomas said last week post-practice. "I changed my process up, my mindset's all different. I'm coming for it. That's it."
Entering last season, his teammates and coaches instantly recognized his talent, but they also knew he needed to take time learning the process and how to be a student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference.
His athleticism got him on the field on special teams, but his maturation levels were hindering him from contributing on offense.
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Not to say Thomas was immature, he just needed to develop himself into the student-athlete he is entering 2026.
OU wideout Isaiah Sategna III said he knew Thomas had all the stuff to compete, but needed to mature from high school football to OU football.
"He wasn't at the biggest high school, so whenever he got to college, it was a big learning gap," Sategna said. "He's obviously very gifted and he has all the talent in the world. So, you know, it's just mental for him… Just him being comfortable out there and just over communicating with him and just him being ready is a big thing for us."
Thomas went to Checotah High School, where he was a superstar in Class 3A football.
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He essentially carried the Wildcats to the state semifinals and earned all of his consensus 4-star rating out of high school.
For Thomas at Checotah, there were designed plays, but it's nowhere near as complex as OU's playbook that offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has.
"I wouldn't say difficult. It takes a lot of maturity," Thomas said. "Coming from high school you didn't really have to worry about much. And coming here, you have to worry about a little bit more than you do in high school."
For the past year and a half, Thomas has been learning the ins and outs of the playbook and learning how to be a wideout at OU.
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Sooners coach Brent Venables said back in the spring that he's come a long way since arriving on campus.
"ET has done a really good job," Venables said in the spring. "All things considered, he played both ways in high school, maybe wasn't technically savvy on how to play receiver, how to get open, understanding coverages and route conversions, things like that. He's in a much better place than he was a year ago."
Thomas' maturity level has seen a massive increase since the end of last season, which will allow him to contribute more for the Sooners' offense.
He made plenty of big-time plays on special teams last season, running down ball-carriers for huge tackles. Now, he's hopeful his maturation will turn into more offensive snaps.
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Checotah coach Zac Ross, who coached Thomas throughout high school, keeps up with Thomas throughout his time in Norman and when Thomas visits home during the offseason.
When Thomas visited in the spring, Ross said he recognized a different, but more mature person. He always knew Thomas' hard work would help him in college, but he also knew he'd grow into a professional.
"He just consistently shows up and so I think that character trait, it was going to always translate to the next level," Ross said. "I think you can tell a big difference in his maturity level. I think it was pretty evident in the spring when he came back to visit.
"You can tell in the way he communicates that he's just grown up."
