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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) catches a pass during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars' OC Speaks on Brian Thomas Jr.'s Training Camp Frustrations

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't have much to celebrate after the 2024 NFL season; however, they did come away with one huge revelation: their 2024 first-round pick, Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU, was an absolute hit. Expectations for him were sky high coming out of college, after a junior season that saw him pull down an NCAA-high 17 receiving touchdowns along with 1,177 yards.

Despite his lofty outlook as an elite prospect, he still shattered even the most optimistic projections for his first NFL campaign. For the Jaguars, he caught 87 balls for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, finishing as a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year. That was in a down year for Jacksonville's offense. Now, he's looking to improve upon an incredible debut season along with the Jaguars' offense overall.

With a healthy Trevor Lawrence, new head coach Liam Coen drawing up plays, and second-overall pick Travis Hunter Jr. drawing some of the attention off him from opposing defenses, Thomas Jr. could very well have an even better year in 2025. So far, though, BTJ doesn't seem very happy with his performance for the Jaguars in training camp.

Grant Udinski: Brian Thomas Jr. "holds himself to a high standard"

Brian Thomas Jr. has drawn a lot of eyes at training camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars. On Day 15, he was on the receiving end of an impressive touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence through a tight window. Overall, though, the offense had a rough day at practice ahead of their preseason Week 2 clash against the New Orleans Saints.

Thomas Jr. made waves earlier in the week when he threw his helmet in frustration. New offensive coordinator Grant Udinski believes it comes from a competitive place, though, as he said to the media after practice:

"I think that he holds himself to a high standard, which we appreciate and when he doesn't play to the standard that he holds himself to, sometimes that comes out in frustration. This is what practice is about. You're trying to improve on things. You're trying to put yourself in challenging situations. If you're going out there and just succeeding at everything every single day, you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough.

"So we expect there to be some element of frustration with every position, whether it's a receiver, whether it's an offensive [lineman], whether it's mentally or physically. Most guys are going to be in a situation at some point throughout the course of a practice, throughout the course of a training camp where they probably push themselves maybe beyond their limits, or maybe they just don't perform to their standard. So, I think that frustration for all of us, coaches, players included, it becomes a part of the process of growth, whatever we're doing.”

Udinski went on to say that he'd like for Thomas Jr. to express his emotions in a more productive manner. One thing the wide receiver has proven is that he's prone to exceeding expectations. If he's setting lofty goals for himself in 2025, that'll prove to be good news for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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