Villanova Football Commit Thomas Coates Adapts to D-Line

Villanova Football defensive lineman signee Thomas Coates prides himself on his loyalty — a rare trait in the free-wheeling era of the transfer portal. A six foot tall, 295 pound interior line prospect, Coates attends Urbana High School in Ijamsville, Md.

Growing up in the recruiting powerhouse that is the DMV (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) area and equidistant to Baltimore and Washington, Coates saw private schools poach away many of the athletes he grew up around at Urbana.

“At my school, a lot of people are transferring to private schools because they want to go to a Division I program. I’d say it just shows you don’t have to go to a private school. Public school, it can work the same way. You can always go to a D-I program. If you’re good, they’ll find you,” Coates said. “I never really had the intention of transferring to a private school to get a better opportunity, I always felt like my current coaching staff and my current teammates were the way to go.”

The decision paid off for Coates, who said his first impression of Villanova made committing a ‘no-brainer.’ Watching them put together their best playoff run in 15 years last season further cemented his choice.

“I just instantly committed because I liked the team, the education of course, and they had a winning record and they were ranked in the FCS, so that was a no-brainer. And I really liked their players, their coaches and their coaching style too,” Coates said. 

“That blowout win against Harvard: I was really hyped… Tarleton, it was a great game, I was really happy. I was watching it with my mom and my dad, they were really happy. It showed I can really go win a championship at a high level.”

Switching Sides

Coates first committed to Villanova in July 2025, soon after they gave him an official offer. Growing up, Coates envisioned playing on the offensive line at the next level, but the Wildcats had that position group filled out when he first visited. Instead, they suggested he try out on the other side of the ball. He’d already taken snaps on the defensive line at Urbana, and Villanova took an extended look.

“So first I was originally getting recruited as an offensive lineman, I went to the camp and everything, but I had a few people ahead of me on that end. They said ‘this guy’s just committed,’ but they’ll be happy to have me as an interior defensive lineman,” Coates said. “So I said okay, went to that camp, balled out and got the offer… I really wanted to be an offensive lineman, but I realized my height was an issue — and I’d never really played center. So at that point I was open to it at a Division I level.”

As he adjusts to playing on the interior line, Coates described his physical approach to the game.

“I like to bring a lot of power to the defensive line. I’m really a run stopper to be honest,” Coates said. “I just like to take on double teams, get push back, free up my linebackers.”