Clemson Defensive End Says He’s Going Back to the Tigers
Xavier Thomas, who just sustained a serious injury, chooses to return to Clemson rather than play pro in order to “lead this team to another national championship.”
Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas will use his final year of collegiate eligibility and return to Clemson for the 2023 season, the senior announced Thursday.
The veteran pass-rusher was sidelined for much of 2022 with a broken foot and only played in three games. That means he reserved his redshirt season, which he hadn’t used previously. So Thomas, who got the COVID-19 year back in 2020, will play his sixth season for the Tigers.
“I’m not leaving in that manner. In a video he posted to social media, Thomas stated, “Not XT.” “I’m not that person. I’m not going to be like that. I’m going back to Clemson University to lead this team to yet another national title, not just to play, but to dominate and be the top defensive prospect in the nation.”
In his short season, Thomas recorded two sacks and four tackles. It happened during the opening scrimmage of autumn camp. After sitting out the first five regular season games, he made a comeback on October 8 against Boston College.
After aggravating his fractured foot again, Clemson had to shut him down after two games. Surgery to stop the season was necessary.
Thomas probably wouldn’t have been well enough to participate in the NFL combine in February if he had gone pro.
For a defensive front that lost edge rushers Myles Murphy and KJ Henry, his return is a major boost. Murphy chose not to play in Clemson’s bowl game and turned pro early. Henry is heading to the NFL after receiving his diplomas a few times already.
That’s ten sacks out the door all together. Between 2018 and 22, Thomas produced 14.5 sacks.
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