After a short winter, R Mason Thomas has developed his game mentally and physically to contribute more to second-year coach Brent Venables’ defense.
As a freshman defensive lineman in 2022, Thomas finished with seven tackles, including one for loss, and a quarterback hurry in 10 games. This spring, he feels more up to speed with Venables’ defensive philosophy, allowing him to push beyond his struggles last season.
The speed and complexity of college football caused him challenges last season when he arrived on campus before he was old enough to vote.
“It was pretty tough,” Thomas said Thursday. “It was especially tough just knowing what to do. Like I knew in high school, we didn't really have too much of all these calls … Now, just getting that to have the mental capacity to do all that and then even to learn more, it's really cool.”
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native bulked up from 222 pounds to 239 after the season. Thomas wants to use his added weight to be a physical presence on the line.
With the help of strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt, known for his grueling workouts, Thomas is looking to add more power and finesse to his 6-foot-2 frame.
“The power you can generate,” Thomas said. “I’m not like 260, but at that speed and power at the same time, you generate a lot of force. It’s easier to feel. At 220, I wasn’t knocking people back like that as much. Now at like 240, you get that punch, that power. It’s a lot better.”
Freshman defensive lineman R Mason Thomas during game against Baylor on NOV 5.
Venables has made it a primary focus for each player to develop and improve on “the little things” following a disappointing 6-7 season. The second-year coach is known for being a defensive guru, but he struggled to produce consistent results last season, as the Sooners finished with the No. 8-ranked total defense in the Big 12.
Thomas is leaning into the details, provided by both Schmidt and Venables, to become a dominant player in his second year. With Thomas’ improvement, Oklahoma’s defensive line could improve drastically.
“Yeah, (the details) really do matter,” Thomas said. “You don't think of it like before, you don't think the details really matter like that. The inches left on the field tell us what they really instilled because the coaches know, they have experienced (and) they've been through losing games by three or winning by seven, all those inches add up as you watch film so especially like just now really taking it in.”
As the Sooners move forward in spring camp, Thomas will look to continue his growth as a player. He knows he can be a fast, physical and imposing presence on an improved defensive line in 2023.
“The college experience is fast,” Thomas said. “Now I'm not always thinking about how I got my reactions late from last year. I know I was acting a little slow. Now it's a lot faster, and I can move more fluidly and things like that.”
This story was edited by Austin Curtright and Colton Sulley.
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