Clemson DE Xavier Thomas addresses injury status

No. 5 Clemson has been without defensive end Xavier Thomas since he suffered a foot injury during fall camp and it’s unclear when the talented prospect will return. On Tuesday, Xavier Thomas gave an injury update on his Twitter account.

He said he’s ‘day to day’ right now as he continues to battle pain.

“It is still too much pain to go play full speed, am I making progress everyday,” Thomas wrote, “YES. A lot of it everyday because Ive been working my a** off and havent wasted a day during this process and Im in the best shape of my entire life and can’t wait to show the world what I can do and what this Clemson family deserves out of me.

“Right now it is day to day and hoping I can go this week. If not this week, the same with next week. Either way I will be back very soon. The wait will 100% be worth it. Trust HIM!”

Thomas suffered the foot injury on Aug. 13. According to Clemson Sports’ Matt Connolly, Thomas was expected to miss four to six weeks, per a source.

That would have put Thomas’ anticipated return anywhere from Sept. 10 to Sept. 24. That obviously didn’t happen, and Thomas expressed his frustration with not being able to provide a clear timeline for his return.

“As frustrated as I am being asked this question over and over,” Thomas wrote, “I’ll give you an answer. Coach (Dabo) Swinney nor I can give you a ‘real timeline.’ I’m currently 6 weeks out of surgery from a broken foot. I was hoping to be back LA Tech week, but I’ve come to learn it is not up to me.

“Im done trying to map it out myself. I am on Gods timing and on his schedule because his plan is always better than my plan.”

Clemson continuing key stretch in ACC play

While Xavier Thomas’ injury status remains up in the air, Clemson is hopeful it can get another injured defensive lineman back during a pivotal stretch in ACC play.

Fresh off a double-overtime win over Wake Forest on Saturday, the Tigers are set to host No. 10 NC State on Saturday night. They expect defensive tackle Tre Williams will be able to return from a knee injury that has caused him to miss the last two games.

“I do expect Tre to be back,” Swinney said in his weekly press conference. “He’s been just kind of nursing a little inflammation and we just really just needed to settle it down. We just didn’t want it to be something that carries out throughout the season. But when he’s been able to play, he’s been a factor as well. So, we do expect him back.”

His return would be a big boost to a defense that was surprisingly porous against a talented and dangerous Wake Forest offense.

So far the Tigers have managed without him, out to a 4-0 start to the season. But the four-game stretch that began with the road game against Wake Forest will continue to test Clemson.

A road trip to Boston College comes after the NC State tilt, then a road trip to No. 23 Florida State on Oct. 15 follows.

Clemson is set to kick off against NC State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at home.