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Vols notebook: Tennessee gets big commitment from Briarcrest defensive lineman Omari Thomas

Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt fires up his players before the Vols' season opener against Georgia State on Aug. 31 at Neyland Stadium.
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt fires up his players before the Vols' season opener against Georgia State on Aug. 31 at Neyland Stadium. Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt fires up his players before the Vols' season opener against Georgia State on Aug. 31 at Neyland Stadium.

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee picked up its 19th commitment for the 2020 football recruiting class Monday when four-star defensive tackle Omari Thomas pledged to join the program.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Thomas held a ceremony at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis and selected the Volunteers over a final three that also included Southeastern Conference programs Auburn and Texas A&M.

He’s ranked as the No. 8 defensive tackle in the country in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, which also include ESPN.com and Rivals.com, and is the No. 104 player in the country, No. 4 overall in Tennessee.

He becomes the second-highest recruit for the Vols this cycle, right behind Nashville safety Keshawn Lawrence, who is rated as the 66th-best player in the country.

Thomas is the second defensive tackle to commit to the Vols, joining four-star prospect Dominic Bailey.