Report: Thomas headed to Illinois

CORAL GABLES — Last November, the Miami Hurricanes lost one of their most versatile playmakers when former coach Mark Richt announced receiver Jeff Thomas had been dismissed from the program.

With Richt having retired and new coach Manny Diaz leading Miami, rumors circulated over the weekend about the possibility that Thomas might return to Coral Gables.

Late Monday afternoon, Thomas himself said that was not going to happen.

“I’m on my way now,” Thomas told The NewsGazette of central Illinois. “I’m really excited to get started at Illinois.”

Earlier Monday, during an interview with WQAM, new Hurricanes offensive coordinator Dan Enos indicated that some conversations might have taken place that could have resulted with Thomas rejoining the Hurricanes.

Enos described Thomas as “very, very talented” and said “hopefully that will all work out.”

It will, it seems, work out for Illinois.

Thomas — who disputed Richt and Miami’s statement that he’d been dismissed and wrote on social media that he and the coach had reached a mutual agreement about his departure — announced last month he was planning to transfer to Illinois.

Thomas reportedly signed a Big Ten tender of financial aid and coach Lovie Smith at the time called Thomas “an elite level football player who we expect to make an immediate impact with the Fighting Illini program.”

But when Thomas scrubbed all mentions of Illinois on his social media platforms over the weekend, speculation arose about whether he was headed to his home state after all.

Despite not playing in either Miami’s regularseason finale against Pittsburgh or in the Pinstripe Bowl against Wisconsin, Thomas finished as the Hurricanes’ leading receiver with 35 catches for 563 yards and three touchdowns.

He was second on the team behind running backs DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer with 1,063 all-purpose yards.

Mahoney leaving UM:

Offensive lineman Hayden Mahoney is transferring from the program, Miami announced on Monday.

A redshirt junior, Mahoney played in all 13 games for Miami last season and started 10, most at right guard.

Diaz, who was announced as Miami’s new coach on Dec. 30 while many of the Hurricanes were on their holiday break, met with his team for the first time on Sunday night.

And according to social media videos posted both by UM and by many of the Hurricanes players, things got off to an interesting start.

After a brief meeting in the same auditorium where he was introduced as coach two weeks ago, Diaz took the Hurricanes into the new Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility, where his staff had set up a WWE-style wrestling ring and dummies for his players to tackle.

On one of those tackling dummies? A visual representation of Miami’s disappointing 7-6 record last season — and yes, Diaz himself was captured jumping into the ring and tackling the dummy as the Hurricanes cheered around him.

“That feel better?” Diaz asked the Hurricanes. “Welcome to the new Miami. Welcome to your new program.”

Diaz also announced in the video that walk-on receiver Marshall Few and defensive back Jimmy Murphy had been put on scholarships.