"That is so f**king cool": Fans react to four-star CB Zae Thomas becoming first member of Seminole Tribe to play for FSU

By Maliha

Modified Jul 01, 2024 14:06 GMT

Four-star cornerback Zae Thomas has been one of the hottest prospects in the 2025 recruitment class. With more than 30 offers from programs such as Clemson, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Wisconsin, the 6-foot-3, 185-lb CB from Plantation, Florida, ultimately chose to commit to the Florida State Seminoles on Sunday night.

The Seminoles fans were head over heels after hearing the commitment news. But there is one more thing to be excited about, as Thomas now becomes the first member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to receive a scholarship from Florida State.

"This is so f**king cool," a fan wrote.

Zae Thomas, whose real name is Gregory Thomas, first received an offer from Florida State in April, following an unofficial visit to the campus. Clemson posed a major threat to FSU, being the only other school Thomas officially visited. His visits included a trip to the Tigers from May 31 to June 2, followed by a final visit to Florida State from June 21 to June 23, where the Seminoles had the opportunity to make a big impression on him.

The Seminoles ultimately won over the Tigers.

Let's look at some highlighted fan reactions to this fierce battle between Florida State and Clemson.

Zae Thomas is regarded as the No. 190 overall prospect, the No. 17 cornerback and the No. 23 prospect in Florida in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports. On3 ranks him as the No. 63 cornerback and the No. 63 recruit in the state.

Florida State now boasts eight verbal commitments in its 2025 class. Thomas is the fifth commitment this week alone, joining defensive linemen Kevin Wynn and Myron Charles, wide receiver CJ Wiley, and tight end Chase Loftin.

Seminoles fans are already foreseeing a good season with these back-to-back pledges.

"Best program in Florida gets better," a netizen wrote.

"FSU securing a pretty good class, especially a very good secondary class. They’ve been killing it on the trail," a fan wrote.

Some fans pointed out that Justin Motlow, who was at FSU in 2017, was the first from the Seminole Tribe to play for the school.

"@JMotlow12 was also a part of the tribe and played for FSU in 2017," a fan posted.

"Not true. But he is the 1st scholarship player. 👍🏻," another wrote.

"On scholarship. They had a member of the tribe a few years back who was a walk on and got a TD in a game in garbage time," a comment read.

The Seminoles also continue to pursue several other high-profile recruits, including four-star prospects Ladarian Clardy, Ben Hanks Jr., Jaboree Antoine, Onis Konanbanny, Jordan Young, Bryce Fitzgerald, Tony Williams and JaDon Blair.

Zae Thomas opens up about his commitment to Florida State

The Seminoles have long been viewed as the favorite for earning Zae Thomas' pledge. A major factor behind this was his former high school coach, Patrick Surtain Sr., who is the defensive backs coach at Florida State. Surtain was the head coach at American Heritage High School, where Thomas has been a standout player.

“My old head coach (Pat Surtain) will be my position coach, I love coach Mike Norvell and his energy, Tallahassee is a great college town and it’s not far from home," Thomas told On3. "They have great fans and great support too. I am half Seminole also, so that is another thing that just makes it feel right."

Surtain successfully recruited four defensive backs in the 2024 cycle: Charles Lester III, Jamari Howard, Cai Bates and Ricky Knight III. However, Florida State had no defensive back prospects committed to its 2025 class until now. Surtain has broken that drought by securing a pledge from Thomas.

Zae Thomas also sees the program's potential under Norvell's leadership:

“Coach Norvell has completely turned around the program. Anyone with eyes can see that Norvell has flipped things at Florida State and he has the belief back. Not many believed in him when he came in to try and fix things, but they do now."

During his junior season, Zae Thomas recorded 19 tackles, one tackle for loss and two interceptions. He was also a part of the 4x400 relay team, finishing 11th at the Florida 3A championship as a 10th grader. The prospect can play multiple positions, though he is expected to start at cornerback.