JONESBORO -- Little Rock Central assistant coach and former Arkansas State lineman Tommy Walker distinctly remembers the practice in January 2020.
Then-ASU assistant Sean Coughlin was in town and had a close eye on Makilan Thomas, the Tigers' star offensive lineman.
Thomas, at 6-3 and 295 pounds, had the profile. But Coughlin wanted to see Thomas go through his work -- the usual battery of weights, core exercises and flexibility tests.
"By the end of that practice, Coach Coughlin told me, 'I've looked at over 200 linemen this year and evaluated them and he's the best one I've seen so far,'" Walker recalled.
Coughlin didn't wait but a few minutes after that to offer the Little Rock native his first college scholarship. The opportunity to play for the Red Wolves ended up his only FBS offer -- Thomas committed in April and signed early in December.
In less than three years since ASU first expressed interest in him, Thomas has developed into more than just a fixture on the Red Wolves' offensive front. The sophomore left tackle has established himself as a centerpiece of the future of ASU football while simultaneous serving as an "ambassador for Little Rock" and an embodiment of the in-state talent pool that Coach Butch Jones expects to further tap in the coming years.
"Makilan has been a force of stability for us," Jones said in September. "You know what you're getting every single day with him."
In an ideal world, Thomas wouldn't have played a game last season, let alone started. Of all the positions where redshirting a freshman season is most impactful, it's the offensive line.
But just about everything in Jones' first season with the Red Wolves was not ideal.
By November, it was time to figure out what the Red Wolves had for the future. Thomas, who'd been the backup center most of the year, played for the first time against Georgia State and started at right guard in the season finale against Texas State.
"I still remember calling my parents," Thomas said when he learned that he'd be making his collegiate debut. "I get to do this. This is what I'm here for -- my dreams, goals, aspirations are to do this right here."
The speed and the physicality were overwhelming in the moment. Yet those three games late in a lost season showed ASU's coaching staff what it both hoped and expected to see.
Jones and his staff weren't the ones who offered Thomas in the first place. When he took over the Red Wolves in December 2020, just before Thomas signed his letter of intent, Jones reevaluated all the prospects in ASU's incoming class.
"He had all the qualities that we look for," Jones said. "From the intangibles to the [skills] of an offensive lineman."
Chief among them? Versatility.
By the end of last season, Thomas -- at some point in high school or college -- had played four of the five spots on the offensive front.
The one he'd yet to take on was left tackle. And that's exactly where the Red Wolves inserted him during spring camp.
On the surface, it seemed a bit of a strange choice. Although Thomas now weighs 315 pounds, he's one of ASU's shortest offensive linemen -- only center Ethan Miner is listed at 6-2 or below.
Ultimately, Jones explained earlier this week, the Red Wolves would like to move Thomas back inside -- either to guard or center. But with ASU severely lacking on the offensive line, both in depth and experience, the call was made to keep Thomas protecting quarterback James Blackman's blindside.
"He just works really hard," Jones said. "He has great competitive character and it's important to him."
Thomas' dedication has been on display this season. Of 277 qualified offensive tackles at the Group of 5 level, Pro Football Focus grades Thomas 109th.
What the numbers don't show is that Thomas has played much of the year with a broken foot.
Jones didn't officially disclose the information until the Red Wolves' bye week, explaining during his visit to the Little Rock Touchdown Club that ASU actually acquired what is essentially a boot outfitted as a cleat in order for Thomas to keep playing.
Despite the injury, the sophomore has played 593 snaps -- only four tackles in the Sun Belt Conference have been on the field for more.
"If I can go, I'm going to go for my teammates," Thomas explained. "It's a team sport, so it's not all about you."
That force of personality resonates.
In Jonesboro, there's respect among his teammates.
Back home, those at Little Rock Central, his alma mater, see Thomas as an inspiration. Outside of a trip to the playoffs in Thomas' senior season in 2019, the Tigers have had losing seasons in seven of their last eight campaigns.
Ellis "Scooter" Register, an Arkansas high school coaching legend who ended his long career at Central, couldn't wait to get his hands on Thomas as a freshman.
Register had coached Thomas' older brothers, but when Makilan reached ninth grade, Register saw a different work ethic than most freshmen. The Tigers planned on bringing Thomas up to the varsity -- and starting him -- until a broken ankle ended his season early.
Retiring in February 2018, Register didn't get to see Thomas reach his highest form.
Not that he needed to be there to know what was to come.
"They could not have chosen a better individual, in my mind," Register said. "Arkansas State really hadn't recruited Little Rock heavily but I think he's the kind of young man that's an ambassador not only for Little Rock [Central] but for the city.
"Not only does he represent his school, but he represents himself and his family in such a positive manner."