2018 Football Roster
Sep 6 (Sat)
12:00pm
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Thayer Thomas
- Class:
- Redshirt Freshman
- Hometown:
- Wake Forest, N.C.
- High School:
- Heritage
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 193
Pronunciation: THAY uhr
2022 SEASON:
• Ranks second in school history with 24 career touchdown receptions.
• Tied for 12th in school history with 25 total career touchdowns (24 receiving, 1 punt return).
• 215 career receptions ranks second in school history, while his 2,484 yards rank fifth.
• 9.73 career punt return average ranks 13th in school history.
• NC State’s leading receiver in 2022, he ranked among the ACC leaders in receptions per game for much of the season.
• Also the team’s leading punt return.
• Led the Pack to victory over Virginia Tech with 10 receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
• Pulled down 110 receiving yards vs. UConn.
• Didn’t have a catch against Florida State, but “blocked his butt off” according to his head coach.
• Chose to return for his sixth year, he tied for the 2022 team lead in games played with 62.
• Earned the team’s Gary Rowe Award - given to the top receiver.
• A three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll honoree.
• Chose to return for his fifth year, he is tied for the team lead in games played with 49.
2021 SEASON:
• Eight TD catches in 2021 ties as the eighth-best mark in school history.
• Second-leading receiver with 51 catches in 2021.
• Had the longest reception of his career - a 79-yarder - in the win at BC.
• Has four career 100-yard games - latest was 122 yards at BC.
• A third-team All-ACC performer as a returner according to Phil Steele, he was a second-team choice of PFF.
• A first-team preseason All-ACC choice as a punt returner according to Athlon.
• Led all returning ACC players in career punt return yards (391) and ranks second in total returns (36).
2020 SEASON:
• Caught a career-high 42 passes in 2020, the second-highest mark on the team. His 529 receiving yards was also the second-highest among Pack receivers.
• Tied for the team lead with six touchdown receptions - that mark is tied for 16th in school history.
• Named to the All-ACC third-team as a specialist.
• Posted career highs in receptions (11), yards (135) and touchdown catches (2) in the win over FSU.
• Those 11 catches tied as the 10th highest mark in school history.
• Turned around and bettered that mark with three TD grabs in the win at Syracuse - most for a Pack player since 2016 (Jaylen Samuels) and tied as the third-best mark in school history.
• Named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for his performance against the Orange.
• Threw a touchdown pass - the third of his career - vs. Miami. He connected with quarterback Bailey Hockman for the 31 yard score.
• Had his first TD catch of the season vs. Duke.
• Named to the preseason watch list for the Paul Hornung Award.
• A second-team preseason All-ACC choice according to Athlon as a returner.
• Named to the preseason watch list for the Paul Hornung Award.
• A second-team preseason All-ACC choice according to Athlon as a returner.
2019 SEASON:
• Averaged 13.7 yards per punt return for the season - tied as the seventh-best mark in school history.
• Ranked fourth on the team in receptions with 31 and ranked second in touchdown receptions with three.
• Returned a punt for a touchdown (76 yards) in the win over Ball State (there were only 10 players on the field for NC State at the time!).
• Threw and caught a touchdown pass at West Virginia.
• Threw another TD pass (the only touchdown of the game) in the win over Syracuse.
• In for only six snaps against Clemson as he was battling an injury.
2018 SEASON:
• Fourth-leading receiver with 34 catches.
• Turned in a 100-yard receiving game earlier in his career than any receiver in school history. He had with 114 yards on nine catches in just his second game - the win over Georgia State.
• Also threw a 56-yard pass in the win over Georgia State.
• Named the ACC Rookie of the Week for that performance.
• Had two touches in the opener: a 40-yard punt return and a 16-yard touchdown reception.
2017 SEASON:
• Redshirted the season at wide receiver.
• Joined the team as a walk-on, he earned a scholarship during the spring of 2018.
HIGH SCHOOL:
• Senior Stats: 74 catches for 965 yards and 7 TDs.
• Junior Stats: Missed six games due to injury, but still pulled down 35 receptions for 510 yards and four TDs.
• Honors: Earned the WRAL Extra Effort Award and the Bill Dooley NCHSAA Award. Named the Male Athlete of the Year by HSOT and PrepsNow. An All-Metro performer in baseball, he won all-conference honors in football, basketball and baseball as a junior and senior. Named team offensive MVP. A Wendy’s High school Heisman finalist for N.C.
• Career Stats: Holds the Heritage reception record in football, the assist record in basketball and the marks for hits, batting average, slugging percentage and OB in baseball.
• Ranked 10 out of 410 in his class, he was a junior marshall.
• Baseball: An all-conference performer as a junior and senior, he also won all-metro honors as a senior. Holds the Heritage single-season records for hits (35), batting average (.473) and OB pct. (.561). His .397 as a junior, with 6 triples, 5 doubles, 19 RBI and 18 stolen.
PERSONAL
• In 2019, was a member of the Wolfpack baseball squad as an outfielder, he played in 14 games starting four.
• Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 33rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
• Younger brother, Drake, is a linebacker for the Wolfpack.
• Middle name is Rockne.
• Played football, basketball, baseball and even did gymnastics as a kid.
• Major: Earned his degree in business administration in the summer of 2020. Taking postgraduate courses.
THOMAS CAREER STATS
| Year | GP-GS | Ply | Rec | Yds | TD | Avg | LP | PR-Yds | Pass C-A | Pass Yds | Pass TD |
| 2018 | 13-2 | 316 | 34 | 383 | 3 | 11.3 | 26 | 15-140 | 1-1 | 56 | 0 |
| 2019 | 12-10 | 490 | 31 | 334 | 3 | 10.8 | 23 | 11-151 | 3-5 | 74 | 2 |
| 2020 | 12-10 | 469 | 42 | 529 | 6 | 12.6 | 37 | 10-100 | 1-3 | 31 | 1 |
| 2021 | 12-8 | 487 | 51 | 596 | 8 | 11.7 | 79 | 17-162 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13-13 | 655 | 57 | 642 | 4 | 11.3 | 43 | 17-128 | 2-2 | 33 | 1 |
| Totals | 62-43 | 2417 | 215 | 2484 | 24 | 11.6 | 79 | 70-681 | 7-13 | 194 | 4 |