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Draft Scout Logan Thomas News
05/17/13 - Despite the return of quarterback Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech's offense simply wasn't very good last season. The Hokies were ninth in the ACC in total offense (376.8 ypg) and eighth in scoring offense (25.1 ppg). A lot of the blame fell on Thomas (18 touchdowns, 16 interceptions), but the reality is the 6-6, 262-pound Thomas tried to do too much. With the early departure of David Wilson, Virginia Tech did not have the big-time running back that has always been a staple of its offense. The offensive line also struggled.
Enter Scot Loeffler, who was hired at Auburn last season to install the pro-style power running offense. It didn't work and Loeffler was out when Gene Chizik's staff was shown the door after a 3-9 season. So there were a few eyebrows raised when coach Frank Beamer hired Loeffler and veteran offensive line coach Jeff Grimes to fix the offense. Grimes made a bunch of changes on the line as he installed more of a zone blocking scheme. Needless to say it will still be a work in progress when the Hokies return to Blacksburg this summer.
There won't be a lot of time for experimentation come August as Virginia Tech opens with Alabama, the two-time defending national champions, in Atlanta on Aug. 31. "Yep, that one has everybody's attention," said Beamer, whose team was 7-6 in 2012 after eight straight seasons of 10 wins or more. - Tony Barnhart, CBSSports.com
01/15/13 - Few quarterbacks intrigued NFL scouts in 2012 more than Virginia Tech's resident goliath, Logan Thomas, and few fell further on draft boards over the course of the season. But even fewer have an opportunity to set the record straight: With a disappointing junior campaign behind him, Thomas confirmed Tuesday that he plans to return to Blacksburg this fall to rehabilitate both his stock and his team's sagging record.
"Going 7-6 left a bad taste in my mouth," Thomas told ESPN's College Football Live. "I think I have a lot to work on. I can get better... I want to come back and have a better season next year."
There is no doubting Thomas' physical qualifications: At 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, he's a towering presence in the pocket with an arm to match, while also possessing enough athleticism to lead the Hokies in rushing last year, even after subtracting negative yardage on sacks. In 2011, his first season as a starter, Thomas broke the school record for total offense, picked up a second-team All-ACC nod and led Virginia Tech to a BCS bowl. But scouts who projected him as a potential first-rounder were always more intrigued by his potential than his production on paper.
In 2012, though, the decline was too glaring to ignore. Although Thomas ultimately broke his own record for total offense with 3,503 yards for the season, he also finished dead last among regular ACC starters for completion percentage (51.3) and interception percentage (3.73), serving up more picks than all but six other quarterbacks nationally. In five of 13 games, he failed to complete even half of his passes. His overall efficiency rating plummeted by nearly 20 points. - Matt Hinton, CBSSports.com
01/15/13 - Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas is returning for his senior season. The 6-foot-6 redshirt junior told the Hokies coaching staff on Tuesday, the final day to declare for the draft. Thomas has started the past 27 games for Virginia Tech, passing for 6,096 yards and 37 touchdowns while running for 1,015 yards and 20 scores. He will enter his redshirt season year third in both career passing yards for the Hokies - 901 behind Tyrod Taylor's record of 7,017 yards - and in career total offense - 2,102 behind Taylor's record of 9,213 yards. Thomas graduated in December with a degree in human development.
"I'm deciding to come back to Tech to better myself and this team for the future," Thomas said in a statement released by the school. "I'm looking forward to what this upcoming season holds. The NFL has always been a goal of mine, but the NFL will always be there while college is only a five-year experience that you can't get back."
Thomas had said before the Hokies left Blacksburg, Va., for the Russell Athletic Bowl that his decision would be "up in the air" even if the NFL draft advisory board suggested he could be a first-round draft choice. Some early draft projections had him ranked highly among quarterbacks because of his size and running ability, which have drawn comparisons to Cam Newton. Thomas said he didn't think he was consistent enough to be a winning NFL quarterback, and that "I love the university, I love the people here, all my friends are still here, and ... I think I need some work to do." - AP Sports
01/15/13 - Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas announced on Tuesday that he will return to Tech for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft. Virginia Tech will have a new offensive coordinator next season, with reports suggesting Auburn offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler will run the Hokkies offense next season. That led to reports that Thomas might turn pro rather than try to adjust to a new coordinator. But he ended that talk by announcing his return.
"I'm deciding to come back to Tech to better myself and this team for the future," Thomas said in a statement released by the school. "I'm looking forward to what this upcoming season holds. The NFL has always been a goal of mine, but the NFL will always be there while college is only a five-year experience that you can't get back." The Hokies finished 7-6 this past season. - The Sports Xchange
01/11/13 - Thomas, who saw his numbers drop in virtually every statistic this year after a breakout 2011 season in which he completed 59.8 percent of his passes and scored 30 touchdowns, acknowledged that he has a long way to go.
“There's still a lot of work to do. There's no doubt about it,” Thomas told reporters when asked of his looming decision. “Consistency is a big thing for me. I wasn't consistent throughout the year, and that's where, when you go to the next level, you've got to be consistent at all times. ... I don't think I could go in and start an NFL game right now and be fine and come out with a win, so I think I need some work to be done. But that comes with practice.” Thomas, like all of the other underclassmen considering making the early jump to the NFL, has until Jan. 15 to alert the league of his intentions. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com
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