The Clemson Insider broke the news Monday night that Xavier Thomas will miss the rest of this season after re-injuring the same foot that he broke during the preseason.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney discussed that on his radio show Monday night and detailed why it’s in the best interest of the fifth-year senior defensive end to shut it down for the remainder of the 2022 campaign.
“He’s not going to be able to come back and play, for his situation,” Swinney said. “He probably could, but then you’d have to probably have another surgery to be done, and then that’s going to make him miss the combine and all those things.
“So for him, the best thing for him is let’s just go ahead and do what we need to do and kind of reset and make sure he’s got the best of both worlds when it comes to what he does decide to do. So if he does decide to come back to Clemson, he’s ready to go for spring practice and all that. And if he does go ahead and go pro, then he’s fully ready for the combine and he’s got no limitations and all those things. But man, your heart goes out to him.”
Having only played in three games this season and not redshirted in the past, Thomas can return for his sixth year at Clemson in 2023 if he chooses, or decide to go pro.
“The good news is he’s going to be fine. It’s just a matter of when that is and then what he decides to do,” Swinney said. “He could obviously head on to the draft. He could come back to Clemson for another year if he wanted to. So, he’s got a lot more football in front of him and it’s not like he’s got a torn ACL or something like that or a situation like Justyn Ross was dealing with.
“So, just try to encourage him and to again, have the right perspective to be thankful for all the things he does have, and he’s done a lot of great things. He really wanted to get back and play, and it’s just kind of a fluky thing that happened in practice. But as I always say, God never says oops, and you just respond to it the best you can. He’s been great. He’s been a great teammate to these guys, and everybody just kind of put their arms around him.”
Swinney praised Thomas for the person he’s become and how the Florence, S.C., native has handled the challenges that have come his way.
“We’ve had some really good conversations, actually,” Swinney said. “It’s totally different than if he wasn’t who he is today, this present version of himself. I mean, he has just really grown into an outstanding young man. Very mature. Just so much more equipped to handle adversity. He’s had to. He’s got a whole different perspective on life. He’s really grown in his faith. I mean, it’s been encouraging to see him. It’s very difficult to deal with this, but that’s how this game is sometimes. It’s not always fair.”
Thomas missed the first five games of the season recovering from surgery on the broken foot before making his season debut at Boston College on Oct. 8, when he posted two sacks, a forced fumble and an additional quarterback hit. He earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after that game despite playing only six snaps.
The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder had four tackles, two sacks and a couple of quarterback pressures while playing a total of 52 snaps across three games this season.
Thomas, a multi-time all-conference selection, entered the 2022 season with 112 career tackles (27.5 for loss), 12.5 sacks, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery over 46 games (19 starts).
“Really just appreciate him,” Swinney said. “He’s pushing through and trying to go. If he never plays another snap, I’m not sure his record of ACC Player of the Week on six plays will ever be broken. So, he definitely will have that distinction for sure. But a lot of good conversations with him on just his future. He’s only 22. He’s still a young guy. He’s got a lot ahead of him.”
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