Jeff Brohm found his number one target for Louisville football. What the Cards are getting in Georgia State transfer Jamari Thrash.
With Louisville football having major roster turnover at some of the most important positions, it is time that we get to know some of these players on a more intimate level. Leading up to kick off we will look at some of the advanced stats from Pro Football Focus for our new players.
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Today we are going to look at our projected number 1 receiver Jamari Thrash.
Last year at Georgia State, Thrash was responsible for 1,123 receiving yards and hauled in 7 touchdowns. He did all of this with 62 receptions on 94 targets.
Let’s look behind those numbers and break them down a little more.
Overview
Thrash was the primary receiver for the Georgia State offense in 2022. He played 93% of the snaps and had 4 games over 100 receiving yards (including a 213-yard game). When he was on the field, he lined up wide on 87% of his plays and worked from the slot on just 13% of his plays.
He had an average depth of target (ADOT) of 15 yards and accounted for 419 yards after the catch.
He showed an ability to win balls when challenged bringing in 50% of his contested targets. Thrash also has the ability to make his moves quickly after each reception and stay on his feet after a difficult catch forcing 16 missed tackles after the catch. Thrash was also responsible for converting 45 first downs while the second-best player on his team converted just 20.
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Distance
Jamari was elite at every level of the field but was graded higher and higher as the targets got deeper and deeper.
Behind the Line of Scrimmage
Jamari was not targeted often behind the line but was able to catch all 14 of his targets. He was also able to show his ability to make plays racking up 166 yards after the catch and forcing 3 missed tackles behind the line. He was also able to take 2 of these plays and covert them to touchdowns.
0-9 Yards (Short)
On short distance throws Thrash was targeted 31 times and hauled in 21 of those passes. He was able to turn that into 222 yards and was able to get 102 of those yards on the ground after the catch. His PFF grade in this distance was 92.1 and he was able to force 6 missed tackles after the catch.
10-19 Yards (Medium)
On medium distance targets Jamari was able to catch 13 of his 20 targets and had a PFF grade of 94.1. This was not his most efficient area of the field, but he was able to convert all his contested catches and did account for 224 yards.
20+ Yards (Deep)
Downfield targets are where Thrash excelled. He finished last year with 96.1 (elite) receiving grade for deep passes. He was targeted 29 times and came down with 14 of those targets only registering 1 drop. His average depth of target was 34.3 yards and he tallied 556 yards on deep passes. He was able to complete 50% of his contested catches and took 4 of these balls to the house.
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Breakdown
Jamari Thrash will enter this season as the number one receiving option in this new look Louisville offense. Last year Thrash was able to put up outstanding numbers even though the Quarterback play was not great. What stands out the most to me is how Thrash was able to concentrate on poorly thrown balls and was still able to turn targets into completions even when his vision would have been obstructed.
This year I see Thrash doing most of his damage as Quarterback Jack Plummer’s deep target and I see him being schemed into plays behind the line of scrimmage. Although Plummer likes to work in the medium distance I see Thrash being used in a different role. His speed, focus, and downfield rating makes him a primary candidate to be the player that is stretching the field and coming down with contested balls. I would also look for him to very active in screens and jet sweep type plays.
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I fully expect Thrash to lead this team in yards and touchdowns, but I do wonder if his target share will be slightly lower than what most are expecting. A player like Thrash is going to be a godsend for a Quarterback who has struggled with turnovers in the deep part of the field. Knowing you have someone who can convert contested catches will lead to a Quarterback being more comfortable taking some risks downfield. I expect fireworks from this connection all year.
