After an extensive search, the Jacksonville Jaguars picked Grant Udisnki as their offensive coordinator. During his introductory press conference, he expressed excitement about coaching Trevor Lawrence. However, the quarterback is not the only player he's looking forward to working with.
The Jags have a bonafide No. 1 receiver in Brian Thomas and Udinski talked about how important he'll be on the offense in 2025.
"Excitement once again. So probably that'll be the same thing I answer for probably 10 of these questions, is excitement overall," Udinski responded when he was asked to share his thoughts on Thomas. Like we talked about with the players, and the opportunity to work with these guys."
Udinski continued, "He's one of the guys where you watch the tape, and it's hard to stay seated watching his tape, just in terms of the excitement and the tools and the ability that he has and the potential there for you saw the results this year. But the potential for growth beyond this year, and the different ways you can use him to attack defenses in a multitude of ways."
Even though Udinski won't be calling plays — that responsibility will go to Liam Coen — he'll be helping install the new offensive scheme and will be directly working with players. The new Jaguars offensive coordinator will have no shortage of talented players at his disposal. Of the bunch, Thomas is arguably the most dynamic.
A first-round pick in last year's draft, Thomas was one of the Jaguars' few bright spots in what was an otherwise underwhelming season. He was the fourth receiver off the board but turned out to be the most successful of his class, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns.
On top of that, the former LSU Tiger made the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie team and finished fourth in voting for 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Below is Udinski's full exchange with the local media.
Why the Brian Thomas Jr. will have an even bigger impact for the Jaguars in 2025
Right off the bat, Brian Thomas Jr. gave the Jacksonville Jaguars the element of verticality the offensive had been missing for several years, and what's surprising about his success is that the coaching staff didn't originally know how to deploy him. When they did, Trevor Lawrence was out for the year and Mac Jones was the quarterback.
But despite the roadblocks, Thomas was a game-changer for the Jags and will be even better next year. For starters, Lawrence will be back, and the pair will have a chance to continue to work on their rapport. Furthermore, Liam Coen and Grant Udinski will find creative ways to use their WR1. Last but not least, the team's brass will bolster other areas of the roster, which will in turn put the Louisiana native in a better position to succeed.
The bottom line is that Coen and Udinski know they have a playmaker in Thomas, and they'll make sure that he's an integral part of the offense. Looking back, his rookie season was just a taste of what he'll do.