One of the early surprises at LSU’s preseason camp is the emergence of redshirt freshman safety Jhase Thomas.
Thomas has moved up the depth chart and is challenging redshirt junior Tamarcus Cooley for the starting job at strong safety.
Cooley started 13 games for LSU last season after transferring from North Carolina State. He finished the 2025 season with 70 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions.
But Cooley’s Pro Football Focus grade was 56.1, in part because he missed 16 tackles. His PFF grade at North Carolina State in 2024 was 80.8.
Thomas, meanwhile, played in just five games as a freshman last season, primarily on special teams. His biggest impact came against Texas A&M, when he blocked a punt that rolled through the back of the end zone.
Now, Thomas is making a push for a much larger role.
The former Destrehan standout is the son of Fred Thomas, who played 12 seasons in the NFL, including eight with the New Orleans Saints from 2000-07.
Jhase Thomas initially played wide receiver at Destrehan and was part of the school's 2022 state championship team. He moved to the defensive secondary before his junior season and eventually developed into a four-star prospect.
Thomas also was a standout in track. As a junior, he recorded times of 11.07 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.87 in the 200.
After LSU’s first preseason practice, head coach Lane Kiffin was asked about Thomas getting work with the first-team defense at strong safety.
“Jhase has really done a good job, can play multiple things, and so we rotate a lot of guys through early in camp for competition.”
That competition could give Thomas an opportunity to carve out a significant role in LSU’s secondary this season.
It’s still early in preseason camp, and the depth chart could change before the Tigers open the season against Clemson on Sept. 5. But Thomas has already caught the attention of Kiffin, defensive coordinator Blake Baker and safeties coach Jake Olsen.
After spending most of his freshman season on special teams, Thomas appears poised to have a much bigger role for LSU in 2026.
