University of Nevada Las Vegas

UNLV: Returns as the team’s top back after a standout sophomore season ... During his freshman campaign, he had a dozen rushing TDs, which were the most of any freshman in college football in 2023 ... Also tied the overall school record for touchdowns in a game ... Named to the 2025 Doak Walker Award watch list ... Named to the 2025 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List ... Named to the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List ... Named to the 2025 Preseason All-Mountain West Team ... Named 2025 Preseason All-Mountain West First Team by Athlon and Second Team by Phil Steele ... A member of the 2023 Academic All-MW Team and fall 2023 UNLV Dean’s Honor List ... Changed jersey number from 22 to 9 for his sophomore campaign ... Goes by the nickname Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas.

2025:

• Rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries in the season-opening win over Idaho State

2024: Played in all games, starting in 10 ... Finished the season with 918 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 164 carries ... Caught 11 passes for 91 yards and one touchdown ... Also returned three kickoffs for 124 total yards and one touchdown ... Averaged 5.6 yards per rush.

• Named Second Team All-Mountain West 
• Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List
• Rushed for 139 yards on 17 carries in win at Utah State
• Finished with 109 yards on 16 attempts in victory at Hawaii
• Bullied his way to 135 yards in a rainstorm win at San Jose State
• Caught a stunning 27-yard touchdown pass as clock expired in first half in win at Kansas
• Posted a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a win over Fresno State (first KOR for TD for UNLV in 13 years)
• Named 2024 Preseason All-Mountain West Second Team by Athlon and Third Team by Phil Steele

2023: Earned his first letter as a Rebel by playing in all but one game, missing out on the bowl game ... Jet finished second on the team with 503 net yards on the ground with a school-record freshman rush TD mark of 12 ... Also caught seven passes for 62 yards ... Scored twice in his collegiate debut as part of his eight-carry, 60-yard day vs. Bryant ... Went for 50 yards and another TD in win over Vanderbilt ... Turned heads in a win at UTEP by finding the end zone four times ... His 100 yards on just 13 carries against the Miners marked the team’s only 100-yard rushing effort of the season and earned him MW Freshman of the Week honors ... Scored a TD vs. Fresno State and Wyoming and then three more vs. SJSU on just 10 attempts.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2023 graduate of Westlake HS in Atlanta … Lettered two years under coach Rico Zackery and led the Lions to a 19-7 overall record during that time … A back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher … Named First Team All-Region after a senior season that included 1,283 rushing yards and 14 TD to go with 400 receiving yards and three more scores … Compiled 2,434 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns at WHS.

PERSONAL: Jai’den Elijah Thomas was born in Paterson, NJ … The son of Kenneth Thomas and Candace Weems … Has three older siblings: Alexis, Yasir and Elijah Thomas … Majoring in business.