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2021 ALL-ACC HONORABLE MENTION (DB)
2018 TRUE FRESHMAN ALL -AMERICA (KR)
2021 (Junior): Honorable-mention all-Atlantic Coast Conference performer … Appeared in and started all 12 games at safety to close his collegiate career with 27-consecutive starts … Played in all 47 games with 33 starts in four seasons at Georgia Tech … Ranked third on the team and tops among non-linebackers with 81 total tackles in 2021 … Ranked 17th overall in the ACC with 6.8 tackles per game … Ranked fifth on the team and tops among defensive backs with four tackles for loss … Had a team-high six pass breakups … Also forced two fumbles, good for a tie for second on the team (tied for tops among DBs) … Opened the season with seven tackles against eventual MAC champion Northern Illinois (Sept. 4) … Broke up two passes in win against Kennesaw State (Sept. 11) … Stuffed the stat sheet with seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble that resulted in a safety in the Yellow Jackets’ narrow 14-8 loss at No. 6 Clemson (Sept. 18) … Had six stops and broke up a pass in win over No. 20 North Carolina (Sept. 25) … Made eight tackles against eventual ACC champion Pitt (Oct. 2) … Was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week after recording a career-high 11 tackles and the game-sealing interception in the final minute of Tech’s 31-27 victory at Duke (Oct. 9) … Led Georgia Tech with eight tackles at Virginia (Oct. 23) … Turned in one of the Yellow Jackets’ most exciting plays of the year when he intercepted a two-point conversion attempt and returned it 100-plus yards for a defensive two-point conversion in Tech’s narrow 33-30 defeat at Miami (Nov. 6) … Also had nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble (which was returned for a touchdown) in the impressive performance against the Hurricanes, en route to being named ACC Defensive Back of the Week for the second time in four games … Became the first NCAA Division I FBS player since 2015 and the first ACC player since 2008 with to tally at least nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble and score in a single game … Had eight tackles and a pass breakup at No. 6 Notre Dame (Nov. 20) … Selected to serve as team captain three times.
2020 (Junior – “Covid Year” – year of eligibility retained): Appeared and started in all 10 games at safety … Led all defensive backs and finished third overall on the team with 59 tackles (38 solo) … Also recorded an interception, three passes defended and two pass breakups … Forced two fumbles on the year and recorded half a tackle for loss … Hauled in his interception for a 3-yard return against then-No. 14 UCF (Sept. 19) … Recorded four or more solo tackles in seven of 10 games … Registered a season-high 10 tackles (seven solo) on the road against Syracuse (Sept. 26) … Matched that season-high of seven solo tackles against then-No. 4 Notre Dame (Oct. 31), where he also forced his first fumble of the season … Turned in six tackles in the home victory over Duke (Nov. 28) … Recorded his 0.5 tackle-for-loss at NC State (Dec. 5), where he also had five assisted tackles and a pass breakup … Took down five solo offensive players in addition to two assisted in the season finale against Pitt (Dec. 10), where he recorded his second forced fumble and pass breakup … Returned three kicks for 22 yards, including a season-long 13-yard return in the season-opening win over Florida State (Sept. 12) … Finished with 25 all-purpose yards on the year.
2019 (Sophomore): Appeared in all 12 games, making 11 starts at safety … Finished second among defensive backs and fourth overall on the team with 60 tackles (44 solo) … Also recorded four passes defended … Also added an interception, a forced fumble and 2.5 tackles-for-loss … Helped Georgia Tech hold five of its opponents to 200 passing yards or less … Kicked off season with four tackles (three solo), in addition to his first career forced fumble, in the season-opener at then-No. 1 Clemson (Aug. 29) … Took down five offensive players (four solo) against South Florida (Sept. 7) … Also recorded five tackles (four solo) at Temple (Sept. 28) … Registered six tackles against North Carolina (Oct. 5) and at Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 19 … Caught fire by recording eight solo tackles against Pitt (Nov. 2), including a career-high 2.0 tackles-for-loss for 6 yards and his lone interception of the season … Returned a kick against Pitt for 11 yards … Recorded a career-high nine tackles (five solo) and a career-best two pass breakups at Virginia (Nov. 9) … Returned two kicks for 50 yards against Virginia Tech (Nov. 16) … Turned in six tackles (four solo) in the primetime victory over NC State (Nov. 21), including 0.5 tackles-for-loss for 6 yards … Also returned two kicks for 49 yards … Registered four tackles (three solo) and a pass breakup against then-No. 4 Georgia (Nov. 30) … Returned one kick for 25 yards … Averaged 21.3 yards per kick return.
2018 (True Freshman): Named true freshman all-America as a kick returner by 247Sports … Earned first-team all-ACC recognition as a kick returner from Pro Football Focus … Highlighted his impressive freshman campaign by scoring three non-offensive touchdowns – one on a 95-yard interception return at Louisville (Oct. 5) and two on kickoff returns, a 77-yarder vs. Virginia (Nov. 17) and a 100-yarder at Georgia (Nov. 24) … Set five school records for kickoff returns – 1) 100-yard kickoff return (fourth to accomplish the feat, first since Jamal Golden vs. North Carolina in 2012); 2) two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a single season (third to accomplish the feat, first since Golden in ’12); 3) first freshman in school history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns and only the second GT freshman to even have one kickoff return for a TD (joining Dez White, 1998); 4) two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a career (fifth in school history to accomplish the feat, first since Golden from 2011-15); 5) kickoff returns for touchdowns in consecutive games (first in school history to accomplish the feat) … His 95-yard interception return versus Louisville was also record-setting, as it was the longest INT return ever by a Georgia Tech freshman … the 95-yard return at UL was also tied for Georgia Tech’s longest INT return in an ACC game (Ken Swilling vs. NC State, 1989) and tied for the fourth-longest overall in program history … Thomas, who played in all 13 games, was also Georgia Tech’s top tackler on special teams with 12 special-teams tackles (nine on kickoffs, three on punts) … 12 of his 15 total tackles on the season came on special teams … Was one of 13 true freshmen to see game action for the Yellow Jackets.
High School: Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … Played first two prep seasons at Walton H.S. (2014-15) before transferring to Niceville H.S. for final two campaigns (2016-17) … Three-time all-state and all-area honoree … Earned all-state recognition for the third-straight year as a senior in 2017, despite having only one interception as teams avoided throwing his way … As a sophomore in 2015, returned interceptions for touchdowns in five-straight games (a national high school record) and finished the season with a school-record eight INTs overall … Returned two punts for touchdowns as a senior in 2017, including a school-record 90-yarder … Served as a team captain at Niceville as a senior … Coached by John Hicks … Also played basketball and ran track … Honor roll student.
Personal: Graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in literature, media and communication in December 2021 … One of five siblings … Brother, Azende Rey, played football at Florida A&M from 2017-20 before completing his career as a wide receiver/return specialist at Georgia Tech in 2021 … Juanyeh started playing football at age 5 … Enjoys volunteering his time to work with children and aspires to become a motivational speaker.
