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UK commit Thomas discusses senior season, UK official, recruiting

Kentucky receiver commit Clevan Thomas was generous with his time when Cats Illustrated caught up with him this week.

The three-star slot receiver, safety and do-it-all playmaker from Pembroke Pines (Fla.) Flanagan could be one of Kentucky's most dynamic, promising commitments in the 2017 class. He's also someone with a lot to say.

Clevan Thomas at the Rivals Camp Series
Clevan Thomas at the Rivals Camp Series
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Cats Illustrated had the opportunity to watch Thomas work extensively on both sides of the ball, as a receiver and a defensive back, at Kentucky's Sunday Night Lights camp on July 18. He made our list of the top offensive performers (see the full list here). For good measure, he also made Cats Illustrated's list of the top defensive performers at that camp, the biggest and most talent-rich of the summer for the UK football program (see the top defensive performers here).

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MAILBAG: Football and recruiting questions, answers (Premium)

Cats Illustrated: Talk a bit about your senior season for Flanagan. How are things going for your team (Flanagan is 7-1) and how would you assess your play?

Clevan Thomas: As for the team, we lost a lot of seniors last year. We have a lot of young guys stepping up into big roles. We had to really piece together our defense again. We had an injury to our quarterback and one of our quarterbacks quit -- our starting quarterback quit -- so we've really had to adjust on our offense. Stanford (Samuels) went down and we had another quarterback (come in) so we've started to implement more run. It's just a lot of adversity. Since the first loss, we lost a game by one point, since then we've been building and building. There's a nice little run we're enjoying. We've been doing good. We've gotten better.

My season, since, I think, the third game, I've been playing a lot of safety. I play both sides of the ball, playing safety and receiver. I'm doing well. It's just the offense, like I said, the quarterback role has made it so we haven't thrown the ball a lot. We're running the ball a lot so I've been getting a lot of bubbles, a lot of hitches, stuff like that. We're just trying to find stuff on offense.

Cats Illustrated: It's not shocking to hear you get some run at safety. At the Kentucky camp the coaches said you were getting open too much so they had to move you to safety. Does Kentucky definitely want you for slot receiver or are they saying anything else? How do they see you fitting in position-wise?

Thomas: When I first went up there I told them I wanted to play both. But then after that camp, I put my mind to playing straight receiver. I wanted to play receiver; no defense. But when the season progressed and our quarterback quit I saw how playing safety went it really opened my eyes I thought, 'I want to do whatever I can to help the team,' even if that's safety. I'm really liking it. I'm liking it.

I don't think Coach L.T. (Lamar Thomas) would (want him playing defense). There was another coach (Steven Clinkscale) who was talking to me about playing (defense). Coach L.T. was like, "Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-oh." I guess they'll decide what side I'm on when I'm up there.

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Cats Illustrated: Tell us about the Kentucky official visit you went on this past weekend. It was your second time up there, other than the Sunday Night Lights camp? What was that like?

Thomas: It was my first, actually, official visit anywhere. I went up there to camp. We went to the horse track and they showed me that. I liked it. He was amazed. I had never saw a horse race. The campus was beautiful. I loved the weather.

There's not a lot of schools there. Down here you'll see UM shirts (and others); nothing like that. Up there, when I came off the plane, all I see is Kentucky, Kentucky, Kentucky. I was like, man, they love the game. I had a little girl when I was walking into the horse race and she was like, 'Can I get a picture of you?' And I was like, 'Me? For real?' She wanted a picture of me, autograph from me. It was good. It was a good official. I really enjoyed it. I had a good time at the game. I was freezing out there but it was a real good game and came down the last second with the field goal. I was right there where the field goal went through and I was screaming. I was loud. It was all nice. It was a nice environment. I liked it a lot. I got to spend time with the players, I got time with the coaches.

Cats Illustrated: How much have you followed the team this year? They lost that first one to Southern Miss but they've rebounded and have won four of five games. Have you been impressed with how they've bounced back?

Thomas: Oh, the first game, I was watching it and I think they were up by 21 and thinking, 'This game's over.' Then I came back and Kentucky was losing and I was amazed. I was surprised. In the first half the offense was sharing the ball around. In the second half they were down, I was just like, 'Dang.' They started off rocky but they got a hold of their offense, they got their team together and I'm really impressed with what the team's doing.

I'd like to see them go to a bowl game. I think they've got, what, five more games left? I'd really like to see them go to a bowl game because those guys want it. So I really want it for those guys, to see them make it to a bowl game.

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(from Twitter @aborn_star)
(from Twitter @aborn_star)

Cats Illustrated: What's your relationship with the coaching staff like? Eddie Gran and Lamar Thomas both recruit down in your area, one being the offensive coordinator and the other probably your position coach. How close are you with the coaches and who are you close with?

Thomas: Coach Gran and Coach L.T., they're my two guys. I remember, I wasn't as close with Gran. But he came down, I remember, I was in the office and he walked straight past me. When I left somebody was like, 'Kentucky came by.' The coach just walked right past you. I guess he couldn't talk to me.

But later as the summer went on at a little camp down here I met L.T. At the camp I balled in the spotlight, I did whatever I do. As for coach Gran, I met him when I went up.

Both of them are the coaches I've bonded with the most. L.T. is my receivers coach. Coach Gran runs the offense. He's a real good coach. I like his offense. He did a good job at Cincinnati and he's trying to do the same thing there (at Kentucky).

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Cats Illustrated: Was there a player that hosted you?

Thomas: No, I stayed at the hotel. I was with the players a lot. I was with No. 80, the receiver (Tavin Richardson). He had a good game. I got along great with everybody.

Lamar Thomas has been a key figure in Clevan Thomas' recruitment (UK Athletics)
Lamar Thomas has been a key figure in Clevan Thomas' recruitment (UK Athletics)

Cats Illustrated: How solid are you with Kentucky?

Thomas: I'm solid. I'm solid. I know I'm solid. I know that I want to be (at Kentucky).

Cats Illustrated: Do you think you're going to take any other officials or is it too early to say?

Thomas: I talked to Coach (Mark) Stoops about that and he doesn't like it because a lot of guys have flipped on him. I think I am, I don't know for sure. It depends on my dad. But I know I'm solid.

Cats Illustrated: Have you formed a bond with any of those other South Florida guys like Josh Ali, Cedrick Dort or Michael Nesbitt? It seems like you guys have talked on social media about coming up and being Florida guys who help the program.

Thomas: I grew up with Josh Ali and me and Dort played on the same 7-on-7 team. So I have great knowledge of those guys. Ali, we were both small. I think we were in third grade. Ali played basketball back then. But me and Ali grew up knowing each other and I'm excited we're both going to Kentucky. We always had a good time together. So, yes, I know those guys really well. Trying to bring some of the spirit of South Florida to Kentucky.

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