Georgia Tech plays host to Jacksonville State at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. To help Tech fans become familiar with key aspects of the Gamecocks, here is a look at a key player on the offense. His name is Roc Thomas, and he is JSU’s top runner.
A 5-foot-11, 193-pound senior, Thomas was chosen FCS national player of the week after the No. 5 Gamecocks’ season-opening win against then-No. 12 Chattanooga on Aug. 26.
Thomas accumulated 190 all-purpose yards (122 rushing, 68 receiving) and scored a touchdown on a 76-yard run in the first quarter. His receiving yards included a nice 48-yard catch-and-run play in the second.
Thomas transferred to Jacksonville state in the summer of 2016. He’s a transfer from Auburn who as a senior in high school in Oxford, Ala., was rated the No. 2 running back prospect in the nation by Rivals and among the top five running backs by 247Sports, ESPN and Scout.
In two seasons at Auburn, Thomas gained 475 yards rushing and 227 yards receiving. In nine games last season, he rushed for 782 yards on 127 carries and scored seven touchdowns. His best game came against Murray State, when he rushed for 165 yards on 10 carries. After the season, Thomas was a first-team all-conference selection in the FCS Ohio Valley Conference.
Oh, and Thomas once was a Yellow Jacket – an Oxford Yellow Jacket.
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