The Oklahoman’s Super 30: Del City's Darreyl Thomas ready to be center of attention
DEL CITY — Darreyl Thomas gave his mom the reassurance she needed.
Montoya Hall studies game film with her sons, so she realized the Del City senior’s move from offensive tackle to center wouldn’t be easy.
“I was questioning it,” Hall said. “I was like, ‘Are you sure? Because it seems like you got to move real quick to snap that ball and hurry up and get back up.’
“He was like, ‘Yeah, I got it, Mama. I’m doing good.’”
As Thomas prepares for his final high school football season, a different side of his game is emerging, and his newfound snapping technique isn’t his only sign of growth. After scratching the surface of his vast potential last year, Thomas has reached his comfort zone.
“At first, it was odd because I’ve never played center in my entire life,” Thomas said. “But when they moved me there and I tried it out for the first time during spring camp, I realized I was actually really good at it and a lot of college coaches liked me at it better than at tackle.”
Ranked No. 26 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 list of the state’s best recruits in the 2024 class, Thomas enters his senior year with an offer from Kansas State. TCU and Texas Tech have also shown recent interest, and from Del City coach Robert Jones’ perspective, this is only the beginning.
“He’s been showing us the last couple months that he’s the player that we thought he should have been last year, as far as one of the best linemen in the state,” Jones said. “I think putting him at center just gave him some kind of confidence. It’s boosted him.”
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And it’s allowing him to step into a unique spotlight after competing alongside his older brother, Kanijal.
Although Darreyl’s Division I offer is from the same school where Kanijal signed, the younger Thomas is making a name for himself as a completely different player.
Only one class apart, Kanijal and Darreyl balance each other.
Kanijal, the incoming Kansas State freshman who wrapped up his Del City career with first-team All-State honors from The Oklahoman, played receiver and defensive back at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. Darreyl, at 6-foot-4 and 286 pounds, is a lineman on both sides of the ball. Kanijal, talkative and lively, thrived as a Del City playmaker, while Darreyl’s reserved, analytical personality fits his role as steady protector.
“Darreyl is just a gentle giant,” his mother said. “That’s always been him.”
Despite the siblings’ distinct personalities and fortés, football has strengthened their bond. Darreyl credits Kanijal, a football star at an early age, as his motivation for giving the game a chance in sixth grade.
“He explained the sport and how much I would like it considering how big I was for my age and that I should try it out,” Darreyl said. “Then I did, and I loved it ever since.”
With a wrestling background, he brought grit to the gridiron, but he had to travel around the field before finding his niche.
At first, he played skill positions. As he grew, he moved to the line.
During his junior season, Thomas was an offensive tackle on a dynamic Del City team that went 9-3 and reached the state quarterfinals in a stacked Class 5A bracket. Although the group meshed through most of the season, Jones noticed Thomas wasn’t quite himself at offensive tackle.
“His personality just didn’t fit that,” Jones said, “but it fits center.”
With his quiet, lead-by-example approach, Thomas needed to move to the middle, so Jones and his staff reassembled the O-line puzzle for spring practice. Former center Quaylin Goodman shifted to guard, making room for Thomas.
So far, the new arrangement has worked.
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Instead of floating out in the open, Thomas has reinforcement on both sides. Jones said Thomas is snapping the ball smoothly in practice, and he brings rare speed to the position, able to run a 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds.
Once a hidden gem in Del City’s constellation of stars, Thomas is turning heads before the season starts. Thomas recently attended an invitation-based camp at TCU, and he said the coach told him they would stay in contact.
Jones said he could see schools also recruiting Thomas at defensive tackle, so the senior is assessing his possibilities. Thomas – who likes to tinker with computers, crafts and construction projects – knows it takes time to bring the pieces together.
“I’m trying to see what all I can get out of the season before I really decide on a commitment,” Thomas said.
With his new role, he’s raising the ceiling.
Although Thomas’ job has changed, he is no stranger to Jones’ system. As several move-ins enhance Del City’s depth chart — running back Rodney Fields from Southeast, receiver/defensive back LaDainian Fields from Southeast and quarterback River Warren from Bishop McGuinness — Thomas’ experience glues the multifaceted offense together.
“You got that anchor over the middle with River, and he’s protected,” Jones said. “I just think (Thomas’ move is) going to really help us out this year.”
Encouraging her son to study the habits of different centers, Thomas' mom is all in, too.
"He's excited about it," Hall said, "and I'm excited about it."
The Oklahoman’s 2024 Super 30
Name: Darreyl Thomas
School: Del City
Super 30 ranking: No. 26
Ht.: 6-foot-4 | Wt.: 286 pounds
Position: Center/defensive tackle
Recruited by: Kansas State
About the series
The Oklahoman’s Super 30 feature series will spotlight each high school football player on the Super 30 recruit rankings for the 2024 class. The series continued Thursday with No. 26, Darreyl Thomas of Del City. See No. 25 on the list in Friday’s edition of The Oklahoman. Here are the players we’ve featured so far:
No. 30: Kingston Tito, LB, Lawton Eisenhower
No. 29: Jino Boyd, WR, Tulsa Union
No. 28: Ezra Ballinger, OL, Tulsa NOAH
No. 27: Kayden McGee, WR, Muskogee
No. 26: Darreyl Thomas, OL/DL, Del City
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS football: Darreyl Thomas, Del City recruiting profile
