Junior defensive end Curlee Thomas IV isn’t sure where he’ll play his college football, but his family in Arkansas hopes it’s in Fayetteville.
Thomas, 6-4, 240 pounds, of Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic, was born in Pine Bluff and moved to Texas at 3 years old. He has 22 scholarship offers from schools such as Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Arizona, California and Syracuse.
He has family living in Pine Bluff, Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock and Fort Smith. The Razorbacks offered him on Aug. 4.
“They’re really excited,” Thomas said about his family concerning the Arkansas offer. “A lot of my family wanted me to go down there [Arkansas], but it was really important to me too because most of my family lives down there and they could be able to watch me in a lot of my games.”
Razorbacks defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc is heading up Thomas’ recruitment.
“He seems like a pretty nice guy,” Thomas said. “Seems like he would like to have me around. I really liked the energy I was getting from him when I was talking to him.”
Despite his family being full of Arkansas fans, Thomas said he didn’t grow up rooting for the Razorbacks.
“I really wasn’t raised on any colleges. I was more raised up on, like, the Cowboys,” he said.
Thomas said his mother would approve of him becoming a Razorback.
“She loves Arkansas. We’re consistently visiting our grandparents,” he said. “She wouldn’t mind me playing there.”
His uncle Reggie Collins, who lives in Little Rock, is the most vocal Arkansas fan in the family.
“He would like to see me in the red,” Thomas said.
As a sophomore, Thomas recorded 42 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 14 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble while being named the District 5-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year at Keller Fossil Ridge.
Thomas said he doesn’t have any schools in mind to visit once the NCAA dead period is over and prospects are allowed to visit campuses.
“I’m just keeping all my options open right now,” he said.
He’s interested in hardware engineering and video editing.
“I’ve been surrounded by a lot of people that were somewhat computer geeks when I was younger, like my uncle, and I have a friend named Tank who’s really into computers, too,” said Thomas, who has a 3.4 grade-point average.
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network rates Thomas a 3-star prospect.
“When I saw him last January, he was a prospect the coaches thought had great potential,” Lemming said. “He has the length, the quick feet and the aggressiveness needed to stay on defense. He just needs to add weight and strength.”
Thomas had 5 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hurries in the Vikings’ season-opening 38-21 victory over Midland Christian on Friday.
He explained why he cherishes playing defensive end.
“You’re on the line, the ball is hiked, you’re going after the quarterback,” Thomas said. “The moment you get the sack and the moment the quarterback hits the ground, it’s all just a great rush and a great feeling.”