Florida State linebacker recruit Matthew Thomas thought he made a major mistake when he signed his National Letter of Intent. Last month, the Florida native made it clear that he only committed to Florida State because his mother pressured him to stay close to home. However, he had dreams of playing college football for USC or Georgia and spent several weeks seeking his release from the Seminoles.
On Tuesday, Thomas told Warchant.com that he has decided to stay at Florida State.
“After meeting with coach Fisher and his staff and gathering all the information I have decided to honor my commitment to Florida State,” Thomas said in a statement. “I also want to be close to my family and I want be part of what they are building at Florida State. I’m looking forward to winning games at Florida State and building towards my future.”
That doesn’t mean it was his choice. Thomas filed all the necessary paperwork with the school to request a release from his scholarship, but FSU stood their ground. Had he left the school, Thomas would have been treated as a transfer and had to sit out a year.
“You’d get into a situation where if you release him, then people would be doing that every year,” FSU AD Randy Spetman told the Tallahassee Democrat at the ACC spring meetings in May. “We would be more than happy to release someone if there is a compelling reason.”
Apparently “my mom made me do it” does not constitute a compelling reason, so Thomas basically had no other option. Parents do some insane things around recruiting time which can create unnecessary pressure for their children. Now, the question becomes whether or not Thomas’ heart will be in it with the Seminoles. If he wants to gain recognition from NFL scouts, he’d be wise to get comfortable in his new program.
H/T Dr. Saturday
