Few players have come as far as Earl Thomas in such a short amount of time. The 5-10 strong safety was not that highly touted coming out of high school and redshirted his first year at Texas. As a redshirt freshman in 2008, Thomas totaled 72 tackles, two interceptions and broke up 17 passes. He was even an integral part of the special teams unit. Thomas is just a sophomore in 2009, but he will be eligible for the draft since he will be three years out of high school.
He might leave early if he keeps performing like he has so far in 2009. Through six games, Thomas is second on the team with 27 tackles and has amassed an incredible five interceptions (and he even forced a fumble).
Thomas' 5-10, 197 pound frame is not ideal for the NFL, but he is not a weak player. He has good coverage skills and a ton of speed, so he could be converted into a corner. However, he has enough strength to play strong safety in most systems and certainly has more than enough potential to develop into a consistent player. Thomas might have some more to prove before he is ready for the NFL; it would probably make the most sense for him to come back to Texas for at least one more year.
1/19 Update: Thomas kept up his impressive sophomore campaign and ended the year ranked second on the team with 77 tackles. More impressively, he picked off eight passes and broke up 16 more. His versatility is making his stock move up extremely quickly and Thomas should be a first or second round selection when all is said and done and that is why he opted to go pro after just two years of playing for the Longhorns.
