The Cyclones also welcome Marley Allison, a walk-on wide receiver who starred at Rochester CTC in 2014.
Thomas, a redshirt junior, and Allison, a redshirt sophomore, will begin practicing with the team in fall camp and will be eligible to compete for the Cyclones in 2015.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Thomas was one of the top defensive recruits in the nation coming out of Columbia High School where he received offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Georgia Tech. As a three-star recruit, he was ranked as the 38th-best defensive end in the nation by ESPN.com.
The 6-6, 265-pounder attended Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas where he was named first-team All-American by the NJCAA and the SWJCFC defensive MVP in 2013. Thomas registered 55 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks to help his team finish 10-2 with a No. 5 national ranking in the final NJCAA poll. He was teammates at TVCC with current Cyclone Jomal Wiltz.
Thomas originally signed with South Carolina in 2014, but stayed at TVCC during the 2014-15 season as a member of the basketball team. He averaged 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Cardinals last year.
He was ranked as the 89th-best junior college football player in the nation in the final 2014 Rivals.com rankings.
The 5-10, 190-pounder caught 69 passes for 1,139 yards and 14 TDs last season, ranking fifth in the NJCAA in both receiving yards and TD catches. He had six 100-yard receiving games on a team which won the conference title and played in the Graphic Edge Bowl.
