Malachi Thomas

Malachi Thomas will pair with North Carolina A&T transfer Bhayshul Tuten to hopefully revive the once vaunted Hokies rushing attack in 2023. Thomas suffered through an injury-plagued 2022, playing in just three games, but did flash for a 15 carry, 84-yard, one touchdown outing against Pittsburgh. He did flash more as a freshman, averaging 4.7 yards per carry on 93 totes. He offers homerun hitting speed, arguably moreso than Tuten who profiles with a tad more power. All else equal, this duo could be a force within the ACC, though they’ll need the offensive line to block far better than in 2022, when the Hokies averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. Reportedly fully healthy exiting spring, there’s some late round upside to Thomas, but it’s difficult to fully overlook the injury history. The Hokies’ offense doesn’t figure to deviate and become pass happy, so Thomas will get his opportunities, and the schedule isn’t daunting. Consider Thomas later in your national drafts knowing he could pop for much more, while also knowing the inherent risk of split touches or limited availability.