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Jordan Thomas feeling Maize and Blue

Top Junior committs very early to University of Michigan

It is the only the second week of September and already two of the top

three wrestlers from Michigan’s class of 2012 have announced their

college plans, and they are both staying right here in the state of Michigan.

Division 2 State Champion Jordan Thomas, who is a junior at Greenville

High School, informed Michigan Grappler over the phone that he has given

a verbal commitment to the University of Michigan and coach Joe McFarland

to be a Wolverine in two years when his prep career comes to an end.

“Michigan is a perfect fit. They are a Big Ten school with great academics.

I plan on majoring in business and they have a great business school. They

also have an amazing new facility, a great coaching staff, and I have grown

up a Michigan fan,” said Thomas in a phone interview with Michigan

Grappler. “I am pretty close with coach (Mike) Kulczycki and have been to a

lot of his camps and stuff and I have always felt like I’ve gotten along really

well with him. My training situation at Michigan will be incredible with coach

Kulczycki, Dan Yates, some other good upperclassmen, plus Eric Grajales

who was one of the best High School wrestlers in the country two years ago.”

Thomas, who just completed the first week of his junior school year,

becomes the second top junior from around the country to give a very, very early commitment this fall as fellow Michigander Freddie Rodriguez committed to Michigan State last week. With two years of high school wrestling still to go, Thomas and Rodriguez have already made up their minds to stay in-state.

“I had the chance to go to campus for a football game and I loved the atmosphere, the students, and the staff,” said Thomas. “I knew right away that this is the perfect fit and there was an offer I couldn’t refuse to a place I have always loved so I didn’t feel a need to wait.”

Thomas, who won the Division 2 state title at 160lbs last year and was runner-up his freshman year at 145lbs, has been one of the top grapplers in the country for his age group since coming up on the youth scene. The summer prior to his freshman season he officially stepped into the national spotlight with an impressive Disney Duals performance that included wins over then senior-to-be returning state champ Garrett Rozeboom of Mason, MI as well as a huge win over nationally proven David Habat of Ohio. He then followed up his Disney coming out party with a 3rd place finish at the Cadet Freestyle Nationals in Fargo and he has not slowed down since. He is currently ranked nationally in virtually every poll, he’s rated by InterMat as the #17 pound-for-pound junior in the country.

“I think wrestling is a thinking sport and even though I’m not the

strongest, quickest, or most explosive wrestler, I am smart and

I study the sport and I out-work my opponents,” said Thomas.

“I think the biggest thing that has helped me get to this point

has been wrestling at Massa’s in St. Johns and I have also

been exposed to some really good workout partners and

training at Michigan Xtreme. From now until college I am going

to continue training in the room the way I have been I want to

increase my focus on weight lifting and improving my strength

so I am ready for bigger, stronger guys in college.”

Thomas will join a Michigan program who has a strong tradition

of success in the middle to upper weights, including NCAA

Champ Steve Luke (174) as well as NCAA Finalists Ryan

Churella (165) and Eric Tannenbaum (165) who all came

through the Wolverine program in the past few years. Michigan

had a un-Wolverine like year last year, finishing 10th in the Big

Ten, however, Thomas believes that they will be right back on

top of the Big Ten and competing for an NCAA title very soon.

“They (Michigan) were really young last year and I think they will

be back on top this year with just about everyone coming back

and with Kellen Russell back in the lineup,” said Thomas. “I think the overall direction of the program is great with some talented younger guys who I am already close with like Dan Yates and Cam Jackson. I think we are going to have a great team I think the new facility will help bring more good recruits so we can keep building.”

Thomas is the #3 ranked pound-for-pound wrestler in Michigan’s powerhouse Junior class. The class of 2012 coming out of Michigan may end up being the best group that the Great Lakes State has every produced and in many other years a guy like Thomas could very well be a consensus #1. With Thomas (#3) and Rodriguez (#1) already committed, the question now is how many of the other nationally proven juniors in Michigan or around the country are going to be making up their minds in the near future?

“I want to see other top Michigan guys stay in Michigan because it is awesome for our state and I would love to have the opportunity to get the other top guys on my team in college so we can train and compete together and make Michigan proud,” said Thomas.

As is usually the case with a talented and accomplished high school wrestler, Thomas had many people to thank for helping him along the way, but he singled out three families who have been significant in his development.

“I definitely to than three very influential families in my life: First of all my family for all the support over the years and secondly the Massa and Bennett families for helping me so much throughout my career.”