Lexington (Miss.) Holmes County Central four-star safety Cortez Thomas is a top-of-the-board target for Mississippi State and has been since Jeff Lebby and his staff took over.
The coveted defensive back also has Ole Miss, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Baylor among his top schools, but it’s the Bulldogs who are trending in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) coming out of the weekend.
After an expert pick from Kentucky insider Adam Luckett — which followed one from Mississippi State insider Paul Jones this spring — MSU now holds a better than 90 percent chance of landing his commitment, per the RPM.
Since Lebby took over as Mississippi State’s head coach, the Bulldogs’ head man has already made a strong impression on the four-star.
“Coach Lebby is definitely a cool guy,” Thomas previously told On3’s Chad Simmons. “Some things are going to change with him there.”
Coaching staff has made Thomas feel like a priority
Thomas’ main recruiters in Starkville are co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Matt Barnes and cornerbacks coach Corey Bell. The Bulldogs had a couple of coaches come to town to watch Thomas in spring practice. And they continue to make a strong impression on him.
“It was Coach (Corey) Bell and the defensive coordinator, Coach (Coleman) Hutzler, that came to see me in spring practice,” Thomas told MaroonAndWhite.com. “They watch me in drills and wanted to see how I played and how I was with my teammates. It’s going pretty good with their new staff. They’ve been showing love and support, as always.”
Thomas has already taken official visits to Texas A&M, Kentucky and Ole Miss, with a trip still scheduled to Starkville next weekend.
Once Thomas concludes those official visits, he noted that his college decision could happen later this summer. For now, he is keeping an open mind on any favorites.
“I am thinking I will just make my decision before the season starts,” he said. “That’s still the plan and it will be in the middle of August or late August. I am keeping an open mind with everyone and I am just keeping it open and weighing my options.”
The 6-foot, 170-pound Thomas is the No. 266 overall prospect in the 2025 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 25 safety and the No. 10 recruit in Mississippi.
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