Tom Allen is getting really good at this. He’s almost perfected the art of surprising his players with scholarships based on their hard work and dedication to the program.

Earlier this week, the Hoosiers awarded specialist Nate Snyder a scholarship with the help of former Colts punter Pat McAfee. On Saturday, Indiana dropped another surprise scholarship reward, this time for running back Connor Thomas.

Allen stood at the front of the room during a team meeting, praising the running back for his dedication to the team. After saying some very complimentary things about the running back, the head coach surprised Thomas with a scholarship.

The team then swarmed Thomas to congratulate him:

Thomas appeared in five games for the Hoosiers in the 2017 season, totaling six yards on three carries. Last season, he didn’t see any game action, but was a four-time scout offensive player of the week.

RELATED: Hoosiers Enlist Pat McAfee to Deliver Scholarship News

Indiana will open the season on Saturday, Aug. 31 against Ball State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.