Tag: Solomon Thomas

Florida getting 5-star FSU OL commit back on campus for visit

Five-star offensive lineman Solomon Thomas is currently committed to Florida State, but the Florida Gators will get him on campus next month.

Florida’s push to flip Raines (Jacksonville) offensive lineman [autotag]Solomon Thomas[/autotag] from Florida State isn’t slowing down any time soon, and the Gators plan to host the elite in-state recruit on yet another unofficial visit, according to 247Sports.

After an extended visit in January, Thomas will return to Florida on April 5-6 to see the Gators in their second spring scrimmage. The visit will give him a better feel for the coaching he’d get in Gainesville.

Thomas is close with the offensive line coach at Florida State, which is a lot to overcome after a verbal commitment is out. Still, he’s keeping his options open, visiting South Carolina, LSU and Miami over the spring. The Tigers and Hurricanes have been named along with Florida as the teams pushing the hardest to flip him.

Completing the flip here will take some work, but it isn’t out of the question. Florida has struggled to secure a commitment from elite offensive line recruits over the better half of the last decade. Stealing one from a team on the schedule each season would be a massive win for Billy Napier’s recruiting staff.

Florida has five players under verbal commitment from the class of 2025 at publishing time, including a pair of offensive linemen — four-star interior lineman Peyton Joseph and three-star tackler Enoch Wangoy.

Thomas is ranked No. 13 on the 247Sports composite and is No. 1 among interior offensive linemen in the class of 2025. He’s also considered the second-best player in the class to come out of Florida, regardless of position.

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LSU to host 5-star Florida State OL commit Solomon Thomas this weekend

Solomon Thomas is the top interior offensive lineman in the 2025 class.

LSU already has the No. 1 class in the 2025 cycle at the moment, and it could get even better if it can pull off a colossal flip this weekend.

The Tigers are hosting five-star Florida State offensive tackle commit [autotag]Solomon Thomas[/autotag], as was first reported by Tom Loy of 247Sports. Thomas has also locked in upcoming visits with in-state programs Florida and Miami.

The Raines (Jacksonville, Fla.) prospect ranks as the No. 1 interior offensive line prospect in the nation and No. 2 player in the state of Florida. The 247Sports Composite Rankings slot him as the No. 13 overall player nationally.

He received an offer from LSU in September but pledged to the Seminoles in December. Still, he’s doing his due diligence and continues to take visits.

LSU added a commitment from blue-chip interior offensive lineman Tyler Miller a few days ago, and now it’s looking to continue to bulk up its future offensive line recruiting.

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Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Jets re-signing defensive lineman Solomon Thomas

Jets re-signing defensive lineman Solomon Thomas

The Jets are bringing back defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes.

Thomas has been a nice rotational defensive lineman for the Jets over the last two seasons. He has totaled 57 tackles over two seasons with the Jets while appearing in all 34 games and is coming off a season in which he posted a career-high five sacks. His previous was 3.5 in 2021 with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Jets have added three defensive linemen this free agency period, brining in Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu and have now brought back Thomas, who can play both inside and outside. The Jets also have Tanzel Smart, Bruce Hector, Marquiss Spencer and Manny Jones inside.

2025 will be his third season with the Jets and 8th in the NFL. He was the 3rd overall pick in the 2017 draft after the San Francisco 49ers traded down from No. 3 to No. 2 (Bears moving up for Mitch Trubisky). He played four seasons in San Francisco before joining the Raiders in 2021 and then the Jets in 2022.

Not only is Thomas a presence on the field, he is a presence off the field as well. Thomas has been the Jets’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in both of his two seasons with the team for his work in his foundation, The Defensive Line. A leader in the locker room, Thomas is quietly a key re-signing for the Jets.

Contract details for new Jets defensive tackle Leki Fotu

Some early contract numbers for new Jets defensive tackle Leki Fotu.

The Jets have reportedly signed free agent defensive tackle Leki Fotu, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals. It didn’t take long to get some numbers on the contract for the newest member of Gang Green.

Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the deal is worth a base of $2.5 million that has upside that can bring the total value to $4 million.

For comparison, Solomon Thomas signed a one-year deal last season worth a base of $2.25 million that could have maxed out at $4.75 million.

Could the signing of Fotu mean Thomas won’t be re-signed? We’ll see. Maybe Al Woods doesn’t return either. Quinton Jefferson feels like a 50/50 shot. The Jets could always draft the position as well now that they have six picks on Day 3.

Cowboys Free Agency Targets: 8 defenders who played for Zimmer, staff

When coaches find new digs, they often bring in former players to help lead in the new system. Here are some fun ideas for the Cowboys to consider as the league year approaches. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have a brand new defensive staff, and with that they will have the opportunity to try and shore up the one issue the unit had in 2023; variance. The Dallas Cowboys had a ton of great performances under Dan Quinn over the last three seasons. Twice the led the NFL in turnovers and two different defensive backs had all-time great NFL seasons under Quinn. Trevon Diggs had the most interceptions in a single season in over 40 years in 2011 and DaRon Bland set the all-time Pick-6 record in 2023. But there were enough performances where the defense didn’t show up, most notably the wild-card loss to the upstart Green Bay Packers, that showed the unit was not all it was cracked up to be.

Now, Mike Zimmer is in charge and while the front office may not rain down on him with draft picks to improve his unit in Year 1, there’s probably a sizable free agent haul awaiting him and his new staff. Often times, coaches like to bring in players who are familiar with their systems and who they know they can trust as bridges to the other veterans they are inheriting.

Zimmer worked for Cincinnati as their DC from 2008 through 2013 and was the head coach of Minnesota from 2014 through 2021. Between his former players and those who suited up for new DL coach Jeff Zgonina (Washington 2020-2023, San Francisco 2017-2018) or run-defense coordinator Paul Guenther (Cincinnati DC 2014-2017, Oakland LB coach 2018-2020) there are a handful of current free agents who might be interested in reunions.

Here are the six names, and where they rank on PFF’s list of top 200 free agents heading into 2024. In addition, there are two players who are currently under contract but could be released before the new league year kicks in who would be under consideration.

Florida pushing to flip this FSU offensive line commit

Four-star offensive lineman Solomon Thomas committed to Florida State last month, but that doesn’t mean the Gators are done pursuing him.

Florida’s recruiting staff lost the race for blue-chip offensive lineman Solomon Thomas last month, when he committed to Florida State, but the Gators aren’t giving up just yet.

Thomas visited Florida in January, according to Swamp247, and are one of the few teams that are still pushing hard for him after the commitment.

“I would say most schools are still trying to push for me,” Thomas said to Swamp247. “But when you committed, it shows me who truly still wants me. I would say that is LSU, Miami, and UF.”

The expectation is for Thomas to make more visits throughout the spring and a few official visits later on in the year. Florida should get him on campus at least one more time, but no dates are in place right now.

Thomas is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by ESPN at No. 20 overall. He’s a top-50 overall recruit everywhere but On3, but the 247Sports composite, which considers all four services, puts him at No. 18 nationally and No. 1 among interior offensive linemen in the 2025 class.

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Florida getting 5-star FSU O-line commit on campus for junior day

The Florida Gators are getting a five-star offensive lineman who is committed to the Florida State Seminoles on campus.

Raines High (Jacksonville) interior offensive lineman [autotag]Solomon Thomas[/autotag] committed to the Florida State Seminoles last month, but that hasn’t stopped the Florida Gators from recruiting the five-star prospect.

Ranked the No. 19 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle on the  247Sports composite, Thomas is the type of blue-chip recruit who can quickly revamp a program’s offensive line. Florida struggled in the trenches last season and is looking to reload.

Thomas is scheduled to visit the Swamp over the second weekend of the January contact period, according to Swamp247. The Gators hosted a group of recruits over the first weekend of the period and Thomas is one of the headliners for the coming weekend.

It won’t be easy to flip Thomas from FSU, but Florida is going to push for him until he steps foot on another campus. Getting him on campus for a junior day should help the Gators stay relevant, but he’ll need to return multiple times to get the job done.

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6 Jets to watch in Week 16 vs. Commanders

Here are six players from the Jets to watch in the team’s Week 16 matchup against the Commanders.

The New York Jets have been eliminated from playoff contention following a 30-0 shutout loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 15. After another disappointing loss, the Jets will take on the Washington Commanders in Week 15, who are another team that isn’t going to be in the playoffs.

The Jets could be starting their fourth different quarterback on Sunday as Zach Wilson remains in concussion protocol. With the postseason no longer a possibility, the Jets could use the final weeks of the season to give more snaps to some of their younger players to build momentum for next season.

Ahead of the upcoming matchup with the Commanders, here are six players from the Jets to watch in Week 16.

Jets Week 15 injury report: Jason Brownlee out, Carter Warren doubtful

WR Jason Brownlee is out and offensive tackle Carter Warren is doubtful for Week 15 against the Dolphins.

The Jets released their injury report and game statuses Friday for their Week 15 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Two players — QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Jason Brownlee — are listed as out. With Rodgers practicing, he has been listed on the injury report but has yet to be activated from injured reserve. The Jets have until Wednesday to do so.

Rodgers was listed as a limited participant Thursday and Friday and was even starting to push his practice habits a little. Brownlee did not practice all week with an ankle injury.

Offensive tackle Carter Warren is doubtful for Sunday with a hip injury. After missing Week 14 against the Houston Texans, Warren did not practice all week, likely causing him to miss another game. Max Mitchell would get another start at right tackle if Warren cannot go…if Mitchell plays himself. Mitchell is questionable with a neck injury. He was limited all week.

Also listed as questionable for the Jets: DE John Franklin-Myers (ankle), FB Nick Bawden (knee), C Joe Tippmann (shoulder) and DE Will McDonald (knee). Franklin-Myers, Bawden and Tippmann all practiced in full Friday while McDonald was a late add Friday with a knee injury and did not practice.

Quarterback Zach Wilson was on the report with a knee injury but practiced in full all week. He is good to go for Sunday.

For the Dolphins, safety DeShon Elliott (concussion) and guard Robert Hunt (hamstring) are both out. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill highlights the questionable Dolphins as he did not practice all week with an ankle injury.

Also listed as questionable for the Dolphins: RB De’Von Achane (toe), OT Terron Armstead (knee/ankle), OL Liam Eichenberg (calf), FS Jevon Holland (knees), CB Xavien Howard (hip), OT Austin Jackson (oblique) and OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (oblique). All were listed as limited participants Friday.

Solomon Thomas meets with Chelsea Clinton to discuss mental health

Jets defensive tackle Solomon Thomas had the opportunity to meet with Chelsea Clinton to discuss mental health and his organization, The Defensive Line.

Jets defensive tackle Solomon Thomas has been one of the top players when it comes to contributing to society off the field. As a result, he’s been the Jets’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award two straight seasons, including this season.

The founder of The Defensive Line continued his growing mission to discuss and bring awareness to mental health and he recently got to share some thoughts with the daughter of a former President.

Thomas met with Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton to talk about how Thomas and his organization are changing the way we discuss mental health and suicide prevention, two of the biggest goals of The Defensive Line.

Clinton is a global health advocate in her own right, so if there is someone for Thomas to be able to bounce his ideas off of, it’s a former First Kid.

Thomas has given back in numerous ways but his Defensive Line is his biggest organization, one that aims to help in the prevention of youth suicide. Thomas’ younger sister, Ella, died by suicide at the age of 24. Thomas co-founded The Defensive Line in her honor and to help other lives.