Clemson DE Xavier Thomas to miss bulk of 2020 season after bout with COVID-19
Per Matt Connolly of TheState.com , promising Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas is likely to miss the majority of the 2020 season following bouts with COVID-19 and strep throat.
“We are holding him out for medical reasons. Really treating him like an injury. X has probably had more on him than anybody since March,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney explained while speaking with reporters on Thursday.
Unlike projected first-round NFL Draft picks such as Penn State's Micah Parsons, Miami's Gregory Rousseau, and Purdue's Rondale Moore, Thomas hasn't yet opted out of the campaign scheduled to be held amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve got to get him medically where he needs to be. He had a hard time when he got back with his breathing, COVID, strep throat, being a little heavy,” Swinney added. "He lost from March to now and was not able to do what he needed to do to get himself ready to go.”
Thomas took to Twitter on Thursday evening:
According to Anna Hickey of 247Sports, Thomas is heading toward a redshirt season after he gained around 10-12 pounds while quarantining.
Thomas tallied a pair of sacks, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and 31 tackles in 2019. He earned Third-Team All-ACC honors for his play.
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