Off The Hook Sports continues its 2022 Tennessee football preseason preview on the top 25 impact players for the Vols this upcoming season.

Coming in at No. 11 is junior defensive tackle Omari Thomas.

Past Performance

Tennessee coaches call him ‘Big O.’

Omari Thomas flew up the depth chart and proved to be a force on the defensive line in 2021. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound defensive tackle out of Briarcrest in Memphis could be a major factor once more this upcoming season.

Thomas was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of high school, ranked the No. 90 overall prospect and No. 10 defensive lineman in the country. He was also the No. 2 player in the state of Tennessee at the time, behind only fellow Vol commit Key Lawrence (who later transferred to Oklahoma). Thomas chose the Vols over Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M and Arkansas.

And he got to work immediately when he got to campus. Ten appearances as a reserve lineman garnered 110 snaps and a major body of work for Thomas his freshman year.

Then came his sophomore campaign. Thomas rounded out his year with 21 tackles and a sack in six starts on a talented defensive line. He also posted three tackles for loss and four pass breakups. Thomas’ highlight of the season came against No. 13 Ole Miss for his first career safety. It was also his first and only sack of his career – one of surely many more to come.

Opportunities

Thomas seems to be on a crash course with another monster season in 2022.

The departure of  NFL draftee Matthew Butler, one of Tennessee’s most dominant players on defense last season, opens so many doors for Thomas in the middle.

One of Tennessee’s main goals for the season should be adding some more consistent pressure on the quarterback to alleviate some stress on a capable, yet human group of linebackers in Aaron Beasley and Jeremy Banks. The Vols allowed a lot of rush yards to scrambling quarterbacks last season – pressure from guys like Thomas on the line can definitely quell that.

It’s not too much to expect Thomas to earn a full-time starting role and build on his momentum from 2021 based off physical characteristics alone. There are other ways he can grow, though.

Matthew Butler was a Bonafide leader for this Tennessee team, a trait that can get lost amongst the X’s and O’s. It may not seem as important to have that voice in the middle as it is producing a seven-sack, 40-tackle season – but it is. Thomas, heading into his junior year, will have to take that role head on this season.

Not to mention the lack of experience at the defensive tackle position outside of Thomas. Da’Jon Terry and Elijah Simmons have potential to be really good players for Tennessee but have yet to prove anything to the level of Thomas and LaTrell Bumphus so far.

Hear it from…

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner is known as one of the best in the business for a reason.

Garner has coached 33 NFL draft picks in his time as a SEC coach with stops at Georgia, Auburn and finally Tennessee. He intends on adding Thomas to the list of 33.

Garner realizes Thomas must fulfill Butler’s role of a leader to achieve his true potential.

“I think Big O is a tremendous leader,” Garner said. “It’s like I told him in the meeting room the other day, he’s been crowned one of the faces of the program, I guess. If you’re going to be that – to whom much is given, much is required. So, he has to make sure that everything he does meets those types of expectation.”

Being the face of a program, at least the face of a defense with something to prove, is a complicated position to be in. People have fumbled that bag before, but some have also used it to their advantage. Derek Barnett and even Butler spring to mind as examples.

And Big O isn’t messing around, here. Tennessee wants to be known as the most exciting, uber-efficient offense in the country, but Thomas and the rest of the defense have their lofty goals, too.

“The players beside me, as well, are trying to do the same thing. We want to be the best defensive line in the country.”