Charlie Thom

Physical Profile

Thom carries an ideal high-major OL frame at 6-6/6-7 and 270-275 pounds with clear room to add 20-30 pounds of functional mass without losing the athleticism that defined his tight end days. The basketball and powerlifting background shows up as legitimate movement skill, change-of-direction and lower-body explosiveness rare for a lineman his size. His length and high cut profile project most naturally to tackle, though some evaluators (247's Greg Brooks) peg him as a 'jumbo guard' who could kick outside — the body type supports either, and his current leanness means his ceiling is tied to how his strength matures with a college program.

Play Style

Thom plays with a finisher's mentality, attacking defenders and working to bury them, with the athleticism to climb to the second level and pull on the move. His tape shows a run-first enforcer who generates displacement with sudden pop in pads and a relentless motor. In pass protection he is agile enough to mirror and hold his own thanks to his foot quickness, but he wins more on movement and effort right now than on refined technique or a settled anchor — typical of a recent position-convert still trading TE instincts for OL fundamentals.

Strengths

• Elite size-to-movement ratio: a 6-6+ frame that still moves like the tight end he recently was, giving him a high athletic floor and rare reach/agility in space
• Sudden power and an enforcer demeanor in the run game — runs hot with a strong motor, plays to the whistle and looks to finish blocks, which translates directly to a downhill, gap-scheme role
• Significant developmental runway: relatively young for the cycle and only recently converted to the position, so his rapid offer explosion (Army to Notre Dame in months) reflects high upside still being unlocked

Areas to Improve

• Pass protection refinement — not yet a high-end edge/corner protector; needs to sharpen kick-slide consistency, anchor against speed-to-power, and play with more patient hands rather than relying on aggression
• Functional strength and play-weight — must add lower-body and core mass in a college S&C program to anchor against Power 4 interior length and sustain blocks against bigger defensive tackles

College Projection

A developmental high-major lineman who profiles as a multi-year starter once his body and technique catch up to his frame. Expect a redshirt or early-rotation year at Notre Dame to add mass and learn the position at the Power 4 level, with a realistic path to starting guard or tackle by his second or third year. Positional versatility (guard or tackle) raises his value and likelihood of seeing the field.

NFL Outlook

Carries legitimate NFL Draft upside as a developmental trait-based lineman. The combination of length, athletic background and finishing temperament is the kind of profile that, if his pass-pro technique and strength develop on schedule at Notre Dame, can grow into a Day 2-3 draftable interior or swing tackle. He is a projection rather than a finished product, so the outlook hinges entirely on multi-year development.

Best Fit

A pro-style, run-heavy or gap/power scheme that lets him fire off the ball and finish in the run game while a developmental S&C and OL room refines his pass set — exactly what a program like Notre Dame offers. He fits best where coaches can redshirt and build him patiently, value his positional flexibility (guard-or-tackle), and weaponize his athleticism in pulling/second-level and zone-climb concepts.