Back in the fall of 2018, the number one defensive end recruit from that class stepped into Death Valley. Since then that defensive end, Xavier Thomas, has had a rollercoaster of a career at Clemson. When healthy he has proved to be one of the best defensive linemen not just in the ACC but also in the whole country. Illnesses and injuries over the last couple of years though have somewhat stifled the obvious NFL talent. Now in his sixth season with the Tigers, Thomas is preparing to have maybe his best season yet.
Clemson Player Profile: Xavier Thomas
Showing Potential
Since Thomas arrived at Clemson from IMG Academy, he has shown he can be a very productive player for them. In 2018, Thomas was named a First Team Freshman All-American by USA Today, ESPN, The Athletic, and 247sports. He more than earned this honor by getting 43 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. One of those pass breakups came in the ACC Championship game that year against Pittsburg. To be this productive as a freshman defensive lineman is no easy task. Forty-three total tackles in a season are up there with some of the best defensive ends in all of college football.
The success has not stopped there though as in both 2019 and 2021 Thomas earned third-team All-ACC honors. His sophomore campaign ended with 31 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. He did this starting in only eight games that year. Two years later in 2021, he finished with 27 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass breakup. When Thomas is on the field, he is a problem for whatever offense the Tigers face. Especially in the passing game where he is great at putting pressure on the quarterback. The only thing that has held him back from being an even better player has been his health.
Setbacks
With much of the success Thomas has earned, he has also dealt with plenty of setbacks in his college career. It started in 2020 when he dealt with both strep throat and a stint with covid-19 in the summer right before the season. These illnesses kept Thomas out much of summer workouts and fall camp for Clemson that year. Initially, the plan was going to be for Thomas to redshirt the year after four games since he hadn’t been around much of the summer. The NCAA ended up giving every athlete in 2020 a blanket eligibility waiver for the year though because of all the uncertainty in the country at the time. Thomas still missed the first few weeks making his season debut in week 4 against Miami. This allowed Thomas to play in seven games for the Tigers where he was able to rack up 11 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
After coming back and having a good 2021 season, in 2022 Thomas suffered a foot injury in fall camp. This injury kept him out for the first five games of the season, and he still only ended up playing three games all year. His first game back was against Boston College where in only six snaps played he got two sacks and a forced fumble. This earned him the Defensive Lineman of the Week Award as well as the Leather Helmet Award from the Boston College Gridiron Club naming him the game MVP. Overall in those three games, Thomas got four total tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Even when being held back because of injury, Thomas still found a way to produce.
Final Season Expectations
Now in his sixth and final season, the main task for Thomas is to stay healthy. If he is healthy, we expect Thomas to be one of the best defensive end in the country once again. Even when he hasn’t been close to 100% healthy he has been a very good player for Clemson. Thomas is a fast defensive end with a super explosive first step that is scary for offensive tackles to face. He doesn’t have a ton of pass rush moves but his quickness off the ball makes them almost not needed. He is also so good at using his hands to swipe away the hands of anyone trying to block him. Combine both attributes and it seems like at times even when he is supposed to be blocked, Thomas seems like he’s coming scot-free. He already looks like the best defensive lineman at Clemson through the Tigers’ fall camp. That is nothing to take lightly with the talent across that Clemson defensive line. Xavier Thomas is a guy to seriously look out for all season, as well as going into the 2024 NFL Draft.
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