Clemson Defensive End Announces Return to Tigers

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 going out like that. Not XT," Thomas said in a video he released on his social media accounts. "That's not who I am. That's not who I will be. I will return to Clemson University,..not only to play but to dominate and be the best defensive prospect in the country and lead this team to another national championship."

Thomas had four tackles and two sacks in his limited season. He suffered the injury during the first scrimmage of fall camp. He missed the first five games of the regular season and returned against Boston College on Oct. 8.

Two games later, Clemson had to shut him down after he re-aggravated the broken foot. It required season-ending surgery.

It’s unlikely that had Thomas turned pro that he would’ve been healthy enough for the NFL combine in February.

His return is a huge lift for a defensive front that lost a pair of edge rushers in Myles Murphy and KJ Henry. Murphy went pro early and opted out of Clemson’s bowl game. Henry has graduated a couple of times over and is moving on to the NFL as well.

That’s 10 combined sacks out the door. Thomas produced 14.5 sacks from 2018-22. 

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