2022 DE Curlee Thomas Includes OSU in Top 8

Oklahoma State has been in on Curlee Thomas for a long time and, after his latest round of cuts, the Cowboys are still very much in the game.

OSU made the Top 8 for the standout defensive end, according to a tweet he sent out on Thursday, joining Penn State, Arkansas, UCLA, Cal, Virginia, Cincinnati and Texas Tech.

Thomas is a 6-foot-4, 245-pound DE with a nose for the quarterback and the ability to make plays. He’s the No. 31 strongside end and the No. 72 player out of Texas.

The Cowboys were in on Thomas early, representing his fourth offer, all four of which came within a three-day period back in May of 2020. Since then his offer sheet has grown to a ridiculous 38.

When OSU offered, Thomas had just finished up his sophomore season at Keller’s Fossil Ridge and earned Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors in his district and classification.

After transferring to Nolan Catholic in 2020, Thomas’ star continued to rise. He earned first-team all-state selection as a junior after racking up 58 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in just nine games during the shortened season.

With that production and at a bigger school, that offer sheet has exploded and is still growing by the day. Colorado threw its hand in the ring just this week.

The Cowboys currently have one defensive end committed for 2022 in three-star Landon Dean. If Thomas were to join him, he’d be the fifth-highest ranked recruit in the class per 247 Sports. It would push the Cowboys’ national class ranking from No. 11 to No. 8, leapfrogging Texas and moving up to the No. 2 spot in the Big 12.

Take a peek at highlights from the impressive 2020 campaign.