Jermaine Thomas
“Florida St. still has my verbal commitment, but I am going to make a visit to Baton Rouge this weekend,” said Thomas. “Last week coach [Les] Miles, coach [Larry] Porter and coach [Doug] Mallory came to my house for an in-home visit. We just talked about things and they asked me where I stood with recruiting. I told them wherever I choose to go I would let the coaching staff of that team know a couple of days before signing day.
“I am constantly talking to coach Porter,” Thomas continued. “In fact, I spoke with him on Tuesday and I told him I was going to make a trip to LSU this weekend. He asked me again how I was feeling about LSU and how he couldn’t wait to see me. He said they need a running back like me that can carry the load and that can do the things that I can do. He said the LSU coaches really like how I can catch the ball out of the back field, line up at the slot position and how I run between the tackles.”
The talented back said only LSU and Florida St. are in the running for his signature and both of the coaching staffs are telling him pretty much the same thing.
“Both of the coaching staffs are telling me how they need me,” Thomas stated. “I know Florida St. really needs me. LSU needs me too, but they have like four running backs already. I told that to coach Porter, but then he kind of broke it down for me. After hearing what he had to say, it made sense to me and I am taking him for his word. He said LSU is looking for more of a complete back and that if I would go there I probably wouldn’t have to redshirt my freshman year.”
Thomas said he hopes to explore the basics on his visit to Baton Rouge this weekend, but there is really one thing in particular he hopes to accomplish while in Baton Rouge.
“I want to meet some of the players, tour the campus and check out the town of Baton Rouge,” said Thomas. “I am really hoping to meet the offensive coordinator (Gary Crowton) though. It is weird because I’ve met just about all of the other offensive coaches except for him and you would think he would want to meet me if I am going to be involved in the system he is running.”
Along with the in-home visit from Miles and company, Thomas also paid host to Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles on Wednesday.
Bowden wanted to be up front with Thomas about what the Seminoles want and Thomas wanted to do the same with the headman.
“Coach [Bobby] Bowden and coach [Jimbo] Fisher and coach [Dexter] Carter stopped by my house today,” Thomas stated. “The visit lasted like an hour or two and I told coach Bowden I wanted to take my visit to LSU this weekend and I asked him if it was O.K. with him. He said he admired me for asking him instead of telling him. He then said it was my decision and not his, but he wouldn’t mind it at all. He said to go and to enjoy myself because when it is all said and done he wouldn’t want me to have any regrets.”
Thomas finally ended the interview with a message he wanted to send out to supporters from both universities.
“In the end, I just hope the people from the school I do not choose do not decide to hate me,” Carter concluded. “I hope they understand that I am a teenager and I have to do what I feel is best for my future. It is a decision I will have to deal with for the next four years of my life. I’m going into this with an open mind and I hope to come out of it with no regrets.”