Noah Thomas once again assumes yoke of Jimbo Fisher-style plodding offense by committing to Georgia over return to Texas A&M football
Texas A&M football fans have been thrilled with the job that the Aggie staff has done to flip the wide receiver room via the transfer portal thus far. The Ags entered this window with the receivers as a major question mark, but they have no doubt upgraded the position by leaps and bounds.
That excitement was tempered when the Aggies' number one receiver from this past season, Noah Thomas, declared that he was entering the transfer portal. Such a result was always a possibility when you bring in so many players at the position, but it was still dismaying.
Even so, the Aggies stood a chance to bring Thomas back. It came down to the Georgia Bulldogs and a return to College Station— of course, Smart and company would be a tough out, especially given that they have Thomas's former receivers coach in James Coley on staff, but the Ags had a shot.
It turns out that the pull in Athens was too strong, however. Earlier today, Thomas announced that he was committing to the Georgia Bulldogs.
BREAKING: Texas A&M transfer WR Noah Thomas has Committed to Georgia, he tells @On3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 7, 2025
The 6’6 200 WR totaled 73 Receptions for 984 Yards & 15 TDs in 3 seasons with the Aggies
Was the Top Available WR in the Portal https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/dPYZb39ug7
Despite what I've written about the pull of a former coach and a championship program, there's an objective sense in which this is a highly questionable move for Noah. The regression shown this year for Georgia's offense, despite returning Carson Beck and Mike Bobo, should be alarming for Bulldog fans, and it's extremely possible— if not likely— that Thomas is headed for a worse offensive situation than the one he is leaving.
Bobo's offensive output, apart from last year when he was still reaping the rewards of Todd Monken's work in Athens, has been subpar at every stop he's had for quite some time. It's reminiscent of Jimbo Fisher in many ways— and in that sense, this is a regression for Thomas, too, as he's going back to the plodding style of offense that he had just escaped with Fisher's departure.
The Aggies will still no doubt thrive with the talent they've brought in, but they could have been even better had Thomas stuck around. For a guy with one year left before he jumps to the NFL, this is simply a decision with too many question marks.