Clemson’s Xavier Thomas showered with praise for bowl game decision
No opting out for Xavier Thomas.
Thomas, the Clemson football defensive end primed to pursue an NFL career after six seasons with the Tigers, confirmed late Tuesday that he’ll play in the team’s bowl game. Clemson’s widely being projected to play in the Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl.
In response to a fan on the platform X (formerly Twitter), Thomas, a Florence native and former five-star recruit, said he was committed to suiting up for Clemson “one last time” as opposed to sitting out the game to avoid injury before the draft.
“This program has given me everything & more when they could have moved on when I was down & out,” Thomas wrote Tuesday. “I have to give my all in return. Grateful to even be able to play the game of football again. Finishing it out before we head to the league.”
Thomas’ confirmation he’d play in the bowl game came hours after junior Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. announced he was forfeiting his remaining eligibility to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. Trotter’s father later confirmed his son was opting out of Clemson’s bowl game.
Thomas isn’t projected to be a high-round NFL Draft pick, but the general thinking goes that after six seasons, 60 games and 29 starts for the Tigers, he’s probably put enough film out there for scouts to have a good idea of who he is and how he plays.
But Thomas, who has 24 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks this season for the 8-4 Tigers, left no qualms about his bowl game status. His announcement that he’d be playing drew praise from dozens of Clemson fans.
- “Just one more reason to respect you!!! So proud you’re a Clemson Tiger.”
- “It’s going to be an honor to watch you dawn the uniform and wreck some ppl one more time. Can’t wait to see what you accomplish afterwards!”
- “I can’t tell you how refreshing this is to see in todays current college football climate!”
- “You can say what ya want about XT but this is a Clemson man.”
Thomas joined coach Dabo Swinney’s program in 2018 as the No. 3 recruit out of IMG (Fla.) Academy after starting his career at Wilson High School in Florence. He was part of Clemson’s 2018 national championship team and has grown to be a fan favorite over his lengthy stint with the Tigers.
Entering the bowl game, Thomas has 120 total tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in nearly 1,900 defensive snaps for Clemson. He has overcome multiple season-ending injuries and a lengthy bout with COVID-19 which, according to Thomas, affected his mental health and weight.
This story was originally published November 29, 2023 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Clemson’s Xavier Thomas showered with praise for bowl game decision."
