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Photo by: Michael Hickey
Linebacker Jaylin Thomas “Grows Up” at Notre Dame
September 11, 2018 | Football
Redshirt sophomore was part of big day for Ball State front seven
Jaylin Thomas never had more than six tackles in a college game until Saturday at No. 8 Notre Dame.
There he had seven … in the first half.
The redshirt sophomore played a key role in a Ball State defensive effort that mostly bottled up the Fighting Irish running game and brought relentless pressure on quarterback Brandon Wimbush, sacking him four times and forcing him into three interceptions.
Thomas didn't have a sack, but he spent plenty of time in the backfield. His pressure forced one of the picks, and he had a tackle for loss among his team-high nine stops, eight of which were solo tackles.
"Just to see him really kind of grow up before our eyes in South Bend on Saturday, in that environment, on that stage, was very impressive," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said on his weekly Monday Night Chirp radio show.
A bigger role is something Thomas is just starting to grow into. He spent last season as a reserve linebacker as a redshirt freshman, playing in 10 games but making only one start.
Even as Ball State began making the switch to a 3-4 defense during the spring, putting more linebackers on the field, Thomas' name was still listed as a backup on the depth chart. And it wasn't even as a fully entrenched second stringer, but instead one of those "or" situations where the coaches list multiple backups.
But something seemed to click for Thomas during that month of spring ball when defensive coordinator David Elson says he really took the next step. The progression continued in preseason camp. His play stood out in the first scrimmage of the fall when he made a couple big hits to help the defense perhaps surprisingly overpower the team's veteran offense.
So did the coaching staff see a performance coming like the one Thomas gave at Notre Dame? One in which six of his tackles stopped Fighting Irish ball carriers for gains of two yards or fewer?
"There's been a lot of indications," Elson said. "I think it's a culmination of his development and how hard he's worked at it. It's one game, but certainly it's one he can build on. He can learn from the good things he did, and also there are some plays we left on the field, and he knows that.
"Quite honestly, he had not been practicing all that well lately. But he's very coachable. There are some things he was doing in practice that we corrected."
The 3-4 scheme is familiar to Thomas from his high school days at Lima Senior in Ohio, where he was an all-state first team selection and district defensive player of the year as a senior. The structure of the defense allows him to utilize his skills as a pass rusher.
That was on display midway through the second quarter at Notre Dame. Thomas had already racked up six of his tackles by that point, but on a first-and-10 with 5:30 to play before halftime, he broke through the line and met Wimbush face to face.
He didn't get the sack, but the outcome was even better. Thomas' pressure forced Wimbush to underthrow a ball deep down the middle, and Josh Miller made an athletic play to pick it off.
"As linebackers, if we make plays, we take stress off the secondary," Thomas said. "Then they can worry about what they have to worry about.
"Our scout team in practice really just gave us a good look last week," Thomas said. "Being in the game, it was like second nature. The plays were there, and it just came down to us being able to make them. Just flying around and making some plays was really fun."
As fun as it may have been, the Ball State coaching staff has been quick to preach about maintaining the same level of focus and energy in every game.
The Cardinals will have another shot for a statement on the road this week with a visit to Indiana. Kickoff is set for noon Saturday on the Big Ten Network.
"We know what we're capable of; we just have to come out each week," Thomas said. "We just have to play up to our potential. When everyone is doing their job, we can be really good."
There he had seven … in the first half.
The redshirt sophomore played a key role in a Ball State defensive effort that mostly bottled up the Fighting Irish running game and brought relentless pressure on quarterback Brandon Wimbush, sacking him four times and forcing him into three interceptions.
Thomas didn't have a sack, but he spent plenty of time in the backfield. His pressure forced one of the picks, and he had a tackle for loss among his team-high nine stops, eight of which were solo tackles.
"Just to see him really kind of grow up before our eyes in South Bend on Saturday, in that environment, on that stage, was very impressive," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said on his weekly Monday Night Chirp radio show.
.@_jaylinthomas_ breaks through for a big hit in the backfield. The defense standing up strong for @BallStateFB after an early Notre Dame touchdown. One quarter in the books ...
— Ball State Sports (@BallStateSports) September 8, 2018
No. 8 Notre Dame 7, Ball State 3#ChirpChirp | #WeFly pic.twitter.com/Z0OZ71RL0D
A bigger role is something Thomas is just starting to grow into. He spent last season as a reserve linebacker as a redshirt freshman, playing in 10 games but making only one start.
Even as Ball State began making the switch to a 3-4 defense during the spring, putting more linebackers on the field, Thomas' name was still listed as a backup on the depth chart. And it wasn't even as a fully entrenched second stringer, but instead one of those "or" situations where the coaches list multiple backups.
But something seemed to click for Thomas during that month of spring ball when defensive coordinator David Elson says he really took the next step. The progression continued in preseason camp. His play stood out in the first scrimmage of the fall when he made a couple big hits to help the defense perhaps surprisingly overpower the team's veteran offense.
So did the coaching staff see a performance coming like the one Thomas gave at Notre Dame? One in which six of his tackles stopped Fighting Irish ball carriers for gains of two yards or fewer?
"There's been a lot of indications," Elson said. "I think it's a culmination of his development and how hard he's worked at it. It's one game, but certainly it's one he can build on. He can learn from the good things he did, and also there are some plays we left on the field, and he knows that.
"Quite honestly, he had not been practicing all that well lately. But he's very coachable. There are some things he was doing in practice that we corrected."
The 3-4 scheme is familiar to Thomas from his high school days at Lima Senior in Ohio, where he was an all-state first team selection and district defensive player of the year as a senior. The structure of the defense allows him to utilize his skills as a pass rusher.
That was on display midway through the second quarter at Notre Dame. Thomas had already racked up six of his tackles by that point, but on a first-and-10 with 5:30 to play before halftime, he broke through the line and met Wimbush face to face.
He didn't get the sack, but the outcome was even better. Thomas' pressure forced Wimbush to underthrow a ball deep down the middle, and Josh Miller made an athletic play to pick it off.
"As linebackers, if we make plays, we take stress off the secondary," Thomas said. "Then they can worry about what they have to worry about.
"Our scout team in practice really just gave us a good look last week," Thomas said. "Being in the game, it was like second nature. The plays were there, and it just came down to us being able to make them. Just flying around and making some plays was really fun."
As fun as it may have been, the Ball State coaching staff has been quick to preach about maintaining the same level of focus and energy in every game.
The Cardinals will have another shot for a statement on the road this week with a visit to Indiana. Kickoff is set for noon Saturday on the Big Ten Network.
"We know what we're capable of; we just have to come out each week," Thomas said. "We just have to play up to our potential. When everyone is doing their job, we can be really good."
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