Now the Elder Statesman at Wide Receiver, Michael Thomas Looking to Become Better Leader for Ohio State

Michael Thomas won't ever forget the play, but even if he does for a second or two, there are no shortage of Ohio State fans out there prepped and ready to remind him of it.

"I see it a lot," Thomas said at Ohio State Media Day Sunday. "You can tell when ESPNU is playing the game on repeat or Big Ten Network is playing the game on repeat because other people will start sending it to me. So I’ve seen it a ton of times."

The play, of course, is the completion of a reverse pass from Evan Spencer to Thomas in the edge of the end zone during the Sugar Bowl against No. 1 Alabama. Thomas rose high above the Crimson Tide defender and hauled in the ball all while somehow keeping one foot in bounds.

It's a memorable play from Ohio State's postseason run at the national title and one that is sure to be played over and over again in 2015.

Thomas finished 2014 with a team-high 54 catches for 799 yards and nine touchdowns. He smiled in the spring when asked if his goal was a 1,000-yard campaign in his redshirt junior year, saying he's shooting for well beyond that.

"It's definitely what I want, but I wouldn't say a 1,000 — a 1,000-plus," Thomas said then, sitting out with a sports hernia injury Urban Meyer called "not that serious."

The Buckeyes lost consummate team players in Spencer and Devin Smith to graduation following the title run, two seniors who both did the little things in addition to making the 'wow' plays. For his encore presentation, it's those guys Thomas wishes to emulate in 2015.

"I wanna be a better leader. We lost two seniors, Evan and Devin, to the NFL," Thomas said Sunday. "I just want to pick up where we left off. I don’t want there to be like a gap with losing them."

"I wanna be a better leader. We lost two seniors, Evan and Devin, to the NFL. I just want to pick up where we left off. I don’t want there to be like a gap with losing them."– Michael Thomas

Spencer earned team MVP honors from Urban Meyer, who also called Smith the "best deep ball catcher in America" on numerous occasions (his top-ranked 28.2 yards per catch average supports that claim). Big shoes to fill, sure, primarily from a leadership standpoint. According to his teammates, however, Thomas is already well on his way to doing so.

"My man Mike Thomas — he’s helped me a lot and it’s a big transition from playing quarterback for the past three years and coming where he came from as a receiver, his uncle Keyshawn Johnson, I’m gonna be learning a lot," Braxton Miler said Sunday, the man switching to H-back this fall. "He’s helped me a lot during the offseason late at night and it’s helped."

Coming from someone as loved, tenured and skilled as Miller, that's a pretty big statement.

Thomas served as a security blanket in the passing game for Cardale Jones in the 2014 postseason, dominating on slant patterns with his sure hands on the back end to pick up yards when the Buckeyes needed them most. He also has a penchant for the big play, scoring from 53, 63 and 79 yards out last season. Thomas isn't the oldest wide receiver on the team — Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Greene holds that spot — but is the oldest one with significant playing experience. He also just so happens to be coming off a huge year.

For his encore, though, Thomas looks for more plays like the one against Alabama on top of being the guy everyone can turn to for consistent performances in the wide receiver room.

"I want to be able to lead and have a voice in the room and make sure we know where we started and continue," Thomas said.