Texas High’s Javon Thomas Commits to Tulsa

Just a few days after Texas High's Jarion Anderson made his commitment to Tulsa, another Tigers player has followed suit.

Texas High 2015 running back Javon Thomas announced his verbal commitment to the Golden Hurricanes via Twitter on Thursday, becoming the 14th player in East Texas' 2015 recruiting class to offer up a verbal pledge -- roughly half of the area's group of 29 prospects with at least one recruiting offer.

Thomas (6-3, 211) chose Tulsa over other FBS offers from Navy, Rice, Toledo and ULM. A few hours after Thomas committed to Tulsa, he also picked up an offer from New Mexico.

The Tigers running back was one of the top performers at the second annual ETSN.fm + APEC Football Recruiting Combine in Tyler on June 1. Thomas ran a laser-timed 4.62 40-yard dash, had a vertical jump of 35.3 inches and broad jump of 114.5 and put up 13 bench reps at 205 pounds.

Tulsa, which will compete in the American Athletic Conference this fall after a successful run in Conference USA, will try to rebound from a disappointing 2013 season that included a 3-9 overall record.

The Golden Hurricanes finished the 2012 season with an 11-3 record, won the Conference USA title and then topped Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl to avenge an opening weekend loss against the Cyclones.

The program is headed by fourth-year head coach Bill Blankenship. Prior to joining the Golden Hurricane’s program as an assistant coach in 2007, Blankenship coached Tulsa Union High School to three Oklahoma Class 6A state championships, never missed the playoffs, amassed a 56-game home unbeaten streak and won eight consecutive district championships in his 14-year Union career.

Thomas will be a key returner to a Texas High team full of talented returning impact players. The Tigers went 9-2 in 2013, which included the District 14-4A championship.

Texas High will compete in the new 15-5A this fall along with Greenville, Hallsville, Longview, Marshall, Mount Pleasant, Pine Tree and Sulphur Springs.

2015 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Jarion Anderson, WR, Texas High, 5-11, 165 – committed to Tulsa (1)
• Rodney Bendy, WR, John Tyler, 6-4, 180 – committed to North Texas; additional offer from ULM (2)
• William Brown, DL, Texas High, 6-3, 259 – offers from Arkansas State, Texas State (2)
• Kris Boyd, ATH, Gilmer, 6-0, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Cal, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (14)
• Nate Brooks, DB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 150 — offers from Louisiana Tech, North Texas (2)
• Nick Cain, ATH, John Tyler, 5-10, 165 — offer from ULM (1)
• Key’Vantanie “KeKe” Coutee, ATH, Lufkin, 5-10, 160 — offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Tulsa (4)
• Justin Dunning, S, Whitehouse, 6-4, 200 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt (11)
• Brandon Durman, LB, Tyler Lee, 6-2, 210 – committed to Louisiana Tech (1)
• Chandler Eiland, QB, Canton, 6-0, 178 – offer from ULM (1)
• Roney Elam, CB/S, Newton, 6-2, 175 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (10)
• Jeff Gladney, ATH, New Boston, 6-0, 174 – committed to TCU; additional offers from North Texas, Northern Illinois, Rice, Texas State, Tulsa, UTSA (7)
• JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview, 5-9, 181 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Houston, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (9)
• Tyrone Hunt, DE, Arp, 6-4, 230 – offer from UTSA (1)
• Marcalas Johnson, Arp, 5-10, 181 – offer from Colorado State (1)
• Kevrin Justice, RB, Kilgore, 6-0, 177 — committed to Houston (1)
• Jaylon Lane, CB, Nacogdoches, 6-2, 185 — committed to Oklahoma State; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Boise State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, South Alabama, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, UCLA, ULL, Utah State, Wake Forest, Washington State (38)
• Blake Lynch, QB/ATH, Troup, 6-3, 193 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, TCU (6)
• Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater, 6-1, 311 – committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, USC (21)
• Terry Mark, WR, Lufkin, 6-1, 180 — committed to Houston (1)
• Erik McCoy, OL, Lufkin, 6-4, 297 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Kansas, North Texas, Oklahoma State, ULL (6)
• Samuel Miller, DE, Canton, 6-3, 220 – offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Kansas State, Memphis, Nevada, North Texas, Oregon State, Texas State, ULM, UTEP, UTSA (11)
• Chett Munden, OL, Marshall, 6-6, 303 — offer from North Texas (1)
• Larry Pryor, S, Sulphur Springs, 6-1, 185 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
• Kyshaun Smith, S/LB, Tatum, 6-2, 178 — offers from Houston, Memphis, Texas State (3)
• Javon Thomas, RB, Texas High, 6-3, 211 – committed to Tulsa; additional offers from Navy, New Mexico, Rice, Toledo, ULM (6)
• Jackson Tyner, QB, Edgewood, 6-5, 220 – committed to Rice (1)
• Broderick Washington, OL, Longview, 6-3, 285 — offer from Arkansas State, Houston, New Mexico, North Texas, ULL, UTSA (6)
• Matthew Weeks, OT, Tyler Lee, 6-6, 274 — offer from SMU (1)