One of the top 30 defensive linemen and top high school football players out of Florida from the class of 2021 has entered the transfer portal. Former Florida Gator lineman Chris Thomas officially entered the transfer portal today, June 28.
The Fort Myers, FL native and Dunbar High School alum leaves the Florida program after just one season.
Thomas was actually cut by first-year head coach Billy Napier. He was one of three players cut by Napier. First-year coaches are able to cut scholarship players thanks to a NCAA bylaw, but can still stay on scholarship at the school until they graduate. Thomas opted to test the portal today instead and with the May 1 deadline already passing, he will need a waiver to be eligible at another school this season.
The big six-foot-seven, 300+ pound former Rutgers recruiting target saw varied rankings. Rivals.com had the interior defender rated as a three-star recruit and No. 26 at his position in the class of 2021. 247Sports Composite also ranked him as a three-star, setting in at No. 61 in the state of Florida.
On3 rated him higher, giving him a four-star rating, ranking him No. 20 at his position and No. 26 in Florida for his class.
The decision isn’t a huge surprise considering Thomas only saw game time in one contest as a freshman. Prior to committing to play for the Gators, he received offers from very strong programs like Miami, Florida State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. He also saw offers from Big Ten powers Penn State, Purdue, Indiana, and of course Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were his second offer and his first Power Five offer.
Head coach Greg Schiano has had a lot of success targeting players from Florida and developing them into strong contributors. If Rutgers were to take a second look at Thomas, he could be a strong contributor on defense at SHI Stadium soon.
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