Two seasons ago, Eric Thomas was Troy’s leading receiver as the team’s X-receiver. Last year, he made the move to the opposite side of the offense to make room for Chip Reeves. Now, the senior is back to where he made a name for himself as a sophomore.

“It has really come back naturally, there is nothing that has really bothered me about the transition,” Thomas said. “I can play both side, I just like the left side more. We’ve got the players to execute this offense and score points. We’ve got receivers that can do anything, it’s just a matter of putting our minds to it.”

Offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield says the main thing for Thomas is feeling comfortable in his role.

“I think he really liked being over on the left (X-receiver) side. Some guys just play a little better on the left than they do on the right,” Edenfield said. “I think he’s had a really good spring so far to this point and is ready to have a really big year.”

As a sophomore in 2011, Thomas caught a team-high 67 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. Last season, he hauled in 55 passes for 667 yards and seven scores.

“Most everyone know that he has great hands. He has long arms and he is able to reach out a really grab the ball,” Edenfield said. “He’s really worked on his speed but he’s also a pretty big guy at about 215 pounds. He can body up on guys and use his long arms to reach out and overpower guys.”

Thomas says he feels like his body control is one of his biggest assets.

Troy fans have seen Thomas’ ability to make highlight reel catches, but he insists that they happen in the spur of the moment and are not something he practices.

“Coach (Shayne) Wasden is always watching, I might try to sneak one in every now and then,” Thomas said with a smile. “Sometimes you just have to go up and make a catch anyway you can.”