This past weekend, Miami Booker T Washington won their second state championship under head football coach Tim “Ice” Harris. The Tornadoes dominated on every side of the ball and overwhelmed the traditional powerhouse, Jacksonville Bolles.

Standing in the middle of the celebration was 6-4 inside linebacker, Matthew Thomas. The national recruiting sites have him listed as Five star prospect considering several top ranked universities. He definitely made the experts look like experts on this day.

2013 prospect Matthew Thomas recorded 3 solo tackles, 6 assisted, 9 total tackles and 0.5 sack for his state championship performance. Being our first time seeing him live and in person, he truly fit the bill of a stud prospect. He showed a lot of instinct. Sniffed out plays before they got going. Took on blocks head on and fought off double teams. He played extremely well with his hands and has gift of playing low with his tall frame. He is a sideline to sideline player who can cover a large area in few steps. Does not use wasted motions and doesn’t second guess himself. Thomas does a good job in his zone pass drops. Showed loose hips and quick springs to get off the ground.

Entering the state title game, Thomas recorded 51 solo tackles and 10 QB sacks. Rivals.com shows him considering Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Southern California. He has many of the tools you look for in a stud prospects.

The day of the big 250 pound “Penn State” style LB are fading away. The defensive coordinators are looking for LBs who can run down ball carriers, scrap across the face of the offensive linemen on the perimeter plays and cover ground. Thomas is a perfect example.