Thomas talks return to Tennessee, Citrus Bowl, Vols’ future
Omari Thomas spoke with reporters after Tennessee’s Tuesday morning practice at Anderson Training Center, and he had plenty to say.
The senior defensive lineman recently opted to exercise his Covid eligibility exception and come back to Knoxville for the 2024 season, and he discussed that and several more topics during a candid-as-usual meeting with reporters.
College football rosters remain in a constant state of transition in this era, but Thomas has been a steady presence in the middle of Tennessee’s defensive line the past few seasons, and Josh Heupel and Co. were thrilled to get the big Memphis native back for a final season.
Thomas essentially described unfinished business for himself, his defensive teammates and the entire Tennessee program after an 8-4 regular season, and he said the 21st-ranked Vols have an opportunity in the upcoming Citrus Bowl against 17th-ranked Iowa to get a head start on a better 2024 season.
Here’s everything Thomas said after Tuesday’s practice.
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ON WHETHER HIS DECISION TO COME BACK FOR THE 2024 SEASON HAS CHANGED HIS PERSPECTIVE HEADING INTO THE UPCOMING CITRUS BOWL…
“Really, I feel like this bowl game is just gonna give us a step to just really go out there and continue to just prove and show who we are every day in his locker room. That’s something that we’re really just trying to put out there is just who we are as Tennessee football team. This bowl game gives us another opportunity for that.”
ON THE KEY FACTORS IN CHOOSING TO RETURN NEXT SEASON…
“Really just feeling if I could be more productive with, like, my play. Do I feel I could be better? Do I feel like there’s still room for me to grow? And all those checked ‘yes’, so I feel like just coming back to college gives me the best opportunity to grow as a player and get the most out of what I feel like I can be as a player.”
ON THE POSSIBILITY OF NOT PLAYING WITH SENIOR RUNNING BACK (AND BEST FRIEND) JABARI SMALL IF SMALL CHOOSES TO NOT RETURN NEXT SEASON…
“The last time I didn’t play football with Jabari was probably little league football, because we played [together] in middle school, we played high school, college. Yeah, little league football. But at the same time, we played against each other in little league football. But it’d be different, for sure. Whatever he do, like, it’d be different, for sure.”
ON THE PROCESS OF HIM AND SEVERAL TEAMMATES CHOOSING TO RETURN FOR NEXT SEASON, AND WHETHER THEY DISCUSSED THE PROCESS WITH EACH OTHER WHILE DECIDING…
“Yeah, really, like I said, after the [Vanderbilt] game like, it really got to it. Like, everybody was trying to see what everybody wanted to do. And you know, we all just … a lot of guys that want to be here have been through the program and just feel like it’s another step the program can be. And we just talked to each other — me, Coop [Cooper Mays], other guys just, like, ‘Let’s come back, we use our presence, us who we are, and just try to make the best out of it. And at the same time, like grow for our opportunity, as well.’”
ON HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT TENNESSEE DEFENSIVE LINE COACH RODNEY GARNER MADE IN THOMAS’ DECISION TO RETURN…
“He was really just telling me to do what was best for me, and do what I feel is best for me — like, the best opportunity where I feel I will contribute the most, do I feel I will be good and leave, or do I come back to college and grow as a player as well? And that’s really what he did. He put the full decision in me and my family’s hands, and he didn’t try to you know, [push me]. That’s just Coach G. Like, he just wants the best for the player. And that’s what we did. Just speaking with me and my family, we feel like coming back to college was the best thing for me to do.”
ON HOW BOWL PREP HAS GONE IN PRACTICE WITH SEVERAL PLAYERS LEAVING THE PROGRAM AND SOME PLAYERS STILL UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE…
“Prep is going good, you know? We’ve been coming in, just looking at the film, just coming in and really using this time to get better. It’s like we just went back to true fundamentals, true, like, Day One type of teaching, just so everybody’s just using it like a fresh restart for everybody, and it’s been good. Prep’s been going good. The energy on the team is good. Everybody’s locked in and having fun. So it’s been real good. Prep has been good.”
ON HOW MUCH IMPACT THE CULTURE OF THE TENNESSEE PROGRAM HAD ON HIS DECISION TO RETURN…
“Yeah, it feels good, being able to know that coming back, like, I get to come be in this building every day, get to go to work with those same guys who out there, the coaches, and just to feel comfortable. It gives me, like I said, a good comfort and just allows me to come be who I am, just allows me to come in here every day, be care-free, have fun, be a leader to everybody. That’s the best thing for me, and I’m glad I get to come into the building every day.”
ON THE NEXT STEP FOR TENNESSEE’S DEFENSIVE LINE AFTER IT FINISHED NEAR THE TOP OF THE SEC IN TACKLES FOR LOSS AND SACKS BUT WASN’T AS CONSISTENT AS IT WANTED TO BE…
“Next step for us, I would say just not getting complacent. Like, we see what we can do, we see who we can be, but we need to keep that level the whole time. I feel like at times throughout the season it was where we’d have plays on and off. But we need to … we showed who we can be. We can be a good defensive front, for sure, and a good defensive unit. We need to be able to play at that level every game.”