At the Clemson Pro Day, where he and other former Clemson players were being seen by NFL scouts and coaches, the former defensive end gave it his all.
CLEMSON, South Carolina — Xavier Thomas appeared poised for a three-year career at Clemson before entering the NFL Draft, having been named a freshman All-American in Clemson’s 2018 national championship season.
However, after COVID struck, Thomas gained weight and eventually reached his previous weight of 300 pounds. After depression set in, he nearly gave up football.
After overcoming the hardship, the native of Florence returned in 2021, giving Thomas the impression that he was a freshman once more. However, Thomas would face hardship once more after breaking his foot in 2022, which meant he entered the 2023 season as a sixth-year, extremely senior.
With a strong 2023 season, Thomas weighed a trim 244 pounds on his pro day, which enabled him to run a 4.56 in his 40. Thomas stated that he was aiming for a 4.4, but after making a lot of effort to stay hydrated, his legs locked up, just like they did during the NFL Combine.
NFL scouts had the opportunity to see Thomas’s skill set in action and hear about his journey through adversity at Clemson University’s Pro Day. Thomas believes that he would have had a brief NFL career if he had truly left Clemson after three seasons, but his maturity level wasn’t where it needed to be.
Though Thomas has some scars from on-and off-field conflicts after six seasons, he believes NFL scouts are seeing the best Xavier Thomas, one who is prepared for the 24/7 lifestyle of an NFL player.
