Coach Brad Davis is starting to look like the best recruiter on our staff.
https://www.scout.com/college/florida/story/1792943-davis-working-on-top-2019-guard-thomas
Gators' Davis working on top 2019 Guard Kardell Thomas
One thing that Florida recruitniks can take from the change in recruiting style over this cycle is the emphasis that new offensive line coach Brad Davis has made on getting the guys he wants. It is a new attitude with a new coach and the number one offensive guard in the 2019 class Kardell Thomas has taken notice.
Kardell Thomas attended part of the Friday Night Lights weekend in Gainesville and says that he and Davis have a connection that makes him want to come back. Davis is from Louisiana and actually taught high school at the school where Thomas attends. Baton Rouge Lab.
“It was Coach Brad Davis,” Thomas said about the reason he was on campus in Gainesville. “Him being from where me and my family were from. Him knowing me and knowing my daddy, I had to come check it out. With the connections I had to come check it out. Everybody that’s around him likes him, so I had to come check it out and be a part of that.
Florida was never on the radar for Thomas before Davis arrived. Not too long after he showed up on campus, the gators made the offer to the LSU commitment.
“He taught at my high school,” Thomas said. “He told me when he first saw me he was coming to get me and I liked the attitude that he had towards me.
“Brad Davis is the reason why I’m here. Most coaches don’t come at you like that. They come at you different. He came at me straight up. ‘I want you and you need to come play for me’, and I like that.
It really is a good relationship they have.
“It’s embedded,” Thomas said. “He calls me every day and I call him. It’s good.”
That relationship has grown to the point where Davis lets Thomas know that he plans on making sure the young man is a Gator.
“He’s very confident,” the young man said with a smile. “He will tell me, ‘you know what I’m about’. You know we have this Baton Rouge language that we say. He’ll repeat it and we have a real down to earth conversation.”
Kardell Thomas
Southern University Lab SchoolBaton Rouge, LA
6'3" / 356 lbs / 5.68s
Analysis
Kardell Thomas is a huge offensive lineman who will be one of the country's top 2019 interior line prospects. Thomas possesses great size, strength, and punch at the point of attack. He also has rare straight-line athleticism for a player of his mass. Thomas can improve his footwork, particularly when engaged, and leverage consistency, but the physical tools are there for Thomas to be a dominant guard at the high-major level. - Gabe Brooks
Davis got Thomas to Gainesville and once in town, Thomas liked what he saw and was a part of.
“Florida was great and the first time I’ve been,” he said. “You know I liked everything. Coach Mac is a great coach and I look good in the blue and orange. It was a great experience and I’ll be back for the LSU game.
“The environment, I mean everything is right here.”
Thomas, Davis and Florida head coach Jim McElwain spent a great deal of time talking to one another in a closed door session inside the indoor practice facility during the camp session. Thomas didn’t participate and got an earful of what the Gators are all about.
“His message to me was about academics, you know life after football,” he said about McElwain’s talk. “He said he has the reputation of putting the best players on the field no matter how young.
For Florida, the big hurdle is that Thomas is a commitment to LSU, oh yeah and he lives in town where the school is.
“It’s not easy,” he said. “You know I’m right there and everything is LSU, LSU. Every store you walk in.
“I’m still an LSU commit, you know Purple and Gold, but I am looking at other schools right now and I like what I am looking at.”
The door is open for Davis and company to make the move.
“Florida does have a shot, I’m not going to lie about it,” Thomas said. “You know when an OLine coach comes at you like that, they are definitely showing you that they want you.”
He feels like his family would be okay if Gainesville were to become his future home.
“They would have to coming somewhere like this, where everything is good and I don’t have to worry about anything,” he said about his family liking the Florida option.
“My family actually liked Tim Tebow when I was growing up and my brother is a huge Florida fan, he came here in a Florida shirt. I always talked about Florida. I just never acted on it because they never offered me. Once they offered me… I’m here and I like it.
The visit was a little surprising to Thomas.
“It definitely was,” he said. “I was looking stuff up about Gainesville since I’ve never been here, and hadn’t seen anything, but since I’ve been here it was really good. That’s what’s up.”
“I have to come back for the LSU game, I gotta come back. I know it’s going to be crazy and I know I’m going to be neutral. That’s all I can say.
Thomas remembers well what happened the last time the Gators and LSU met up. It was a surprising outcome with Florida’s 16-10 win in Baton Rouge in a game that was supposed to be played in Gainesville. The hullabaloo surrounding the contest before and after has been more than most would expect. The gators won the game when they held LSU running back Derrius Guice from gaining one yard and a touchdown to win the game. He couldn’t be at the game, but Thomas says the outcome might have been different if there was one change.
“I couldn’t go,” he said. “I thought Guice was going to get it and I thought if I was there blocking he probably would have gotten in.”