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CAREER WATCH: Ranks 5th on UC Davis’ career punt return yardage list with 476... Needs 31 to surpass Artemus Jones (1996-99) for fourth... Mike Ichiyama (1992-94) ranks 3rd at 641.
2021 SPRING: Started all five games as a boundary safety, responding with 22 tackles (17 solos, 5 assist), 2 interceptions and 3 pass breakups... Also continued to serve as team’s primary punt returner, ranking 2nd in Big Sky Conference and 11th among all FCS players with 10.1 yards per return (8-for-81)... Earned ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after Cal Poly home opener (3/20), thanks to a season-best 30-yard return that moved him up to fifth on school’s career list for punt return yards... Posted season-high 7 tackles (5-2-7) with a pick on the Aggies’ 2-yard line against Mike Beaudry in season opener at Idaho (3/6).
2019: Saw action in all 12 games as a reserve safety and team’s primary punt returner... Posted 21 total tackles (14 solos, 7 assists)... Had 2 interceptions, both against Cal Poly (10/12)... Added 3 pass breakups plus a fumble recovery... Ranked 6th in Big Sky in punt return average at 5.5 (12-for-66)... Season-long return of 26 yards helped mitigate a 59-yard Seth Vernon punt at Portland State (11/9).
2018: PHIL STEELE PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY THIRD TEAM... Ranked No. 40 in punt returns (5.0 yards per return) among all FCS players… Holds the program’s Division I-era record for career punt return yards (308), and punt returns (54)… Set the single-season record (Division I era) for punt returns (32)… Ended the 2018 season with the following Big Sky ranking: No. 2 in punt return average (9.9 yards per return)… Returned six punts for 50 yards, both career highs, vs. San Diego (9/8)… Intercepted his first pass as an Aggie at Stanford (9/15)… Finished with a career-high five tackles vs. Idaho (9/22)… Competed in all 13 games… Of his 25 tackles, 14 were solo… Returned 32 punts for a combined 160 yards.
2017: Played in all 11 games as a redshirt freshman... Finished with 148 yards on 22 punt returns, and 12 yards on his one kick return... Recorded a season-high 48 return yards against San Diego (9/9), which included a career-high 39-yard-long punt return... Finished with seven tackles, two solo and five assisted... Posted a season-high three tackles and broke up one pass against North Dakota (9/30).
2016: Redshirted.
CHAMINADE HS '16: Named team's defensive player of the year as a junior and senior... Selected to All-Mission League's first team in 2015... Scored TDs three different ways last season: an interception, as a wide receiver, and on a kickoff return... Recorded seven interceptions throughout his final two seasons, including five as a junior... Named Chaminade's Rookie of the Year during his sophomore campaign... Returned a kick for a score during his junior season.
PERSONAL: Born in Los Angeles, Calif.... Parents are James and Mona Thomas... Twice earned Laureate Honors for posting a 4.0 GPA... Received First Honors (3.5 GPA or above)... Named Scholar-Athlete (3.5 GPA minimum)... Enjoys teaching math to children at summer camp... Goes by the nickname "Zay Zay."
