Xavier Thomas earns praise heading into 2021 season

2020 was a roller coaster for Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas.

The former blue-chip recruit planned on redshirting in 2020, after contracting COVID-10 and strep throat in July 2020 and dealing the the complications in the aftermath. Thomas missed the first three games of the season. After the NCAA declared that all players could participate in the season without losing a year of eligibility, Thomas wound up playing in seven games in 2020.

In just 119 snaps over those seven games, Thomas recorded 11 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. To cap it all off, Thomas graduated in December 2020 after just three years.

Entering his fourth season at Clemson, head coach Dabo Swinney was extremely complimentary of Thomas.

“He looks awesome,” Swinney told media on Saturday. “He looks like a very confident, fast, experienced healthy version of Xavier Thomas. Really proud of him, really proud of the whole group, I really am….it’s just such a blessing to be able to see him where he is right now. Very proud of him, happy for him, know he’s going to have a great year for us”

With Thomas back in a more consistent role in 2021, Clemson’s defensive line is expected to be one of the top units on the team, and potentially nationally.

At defensive end, Thomas will rotate alongside former five-star and freshman All-American Myles Murphy and KJ Henry.

Along the interior, second-year defensive tackle Bryan Bresee looks to build on a strong freshman campaign that saw him win ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Tyler Davis and Justin Foster are also expected to play a major role, as will sophomore Trenton Simpson off the edge.

Thomas will look to have a more consistent season in 2021. His lofty recruiting ranking led to lofty expectations that he’s yet to meet. If he can meet said expectations, he could quickly skyrocket up boards in the 2022 draft class. Playing alongside the loaded Tigers defensive line should help.

As a recruit, Xavier Thomas was a consensus five-star and even considered a top five prospect. As a senior at IMG Academy, he had 34 tackles and eight tackles for loss. Originally from South Carolina, Thomas was rated the top prospect from the state of Florida during his time at IMG and was a USA Today National Defensive Player-of-the-Year finalist.