Xavier Thomas

Last updated

Xavier Thomas
Xavier Thomas.jpg
Thomas with the Clemson Tigers in 2019
No. 59 – Houston Texans
Position Linebacker
Roster status Practice squad
Personal information
Born (1999-12-20) December 20, 1999 (age 25)
Florence, South Carolina, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school Wilson (Florence, SC)
IMG Academy (FL)
College Clemson (2018–2023)
NFL draft 2024: 5th round, 138th overall pick
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Tackles 10
Sacks 2.5
Forced fumbles 1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Xavier Thomas (born December 20, 1999) is an American professional football linebacker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.

Contents

Early life

After playing for three years in Florence, South Carolina at Wilson High School, Thomas played his senior season at IMG Academy in Florida. [1]

College career

After recording forty-three tackles, three and a half sacks, and two pass breakups in his freshman season, Thomas was named to USA Today's Freshman All-America Team. [1] During the 2019 season, he earned Third Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors after posting 31 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and two sacks. Thomas contracted COVID-19 and strep throat in July 2020, and announced he would redshirt the 2020 season. [2] However, after the NCAA declared that all players could participate in the season without losing a year of eligibility, Thomas decided to play, despite missing summer workouts. [3] On October 31, 2020, Thomas was ejected for targeting Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec. He missed the first half of the following game against Notre Dame. [4]

College statistics

SeasonGamesTackles
TotalSoloAstTFLSacks
Clemson Tigers
2018 143318158.53.5
2019 122710178.01.5
2020 56424.03.5
2021 11211296.54.5
2022 34222.02.0
2023 12251694.03.0
Career 5711662543318

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+1⁄4 in
(1.89 m)		244 lb
(111 kg)		32+7⁄8 in
(0.84 m)		9+1⁄8 in
(0.23 m)		4.56 s1.55 s2.69 s32.5 in
(0.83 m)		10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		26 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [5] [6] [7]

Arizona Cardinals

Thomas was selected in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2024 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. [8] He made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2024 season against the Buffalo Bills as the Cardinals lost 34-28. In Week 2, Thomas recorded his first NFL tackle in a 41-10 win against the Los Angeles Rams. In Week 9 against the Chicago Bears, he recorded three tackles and 1.5 sacks (the first of his career) in a 29-9 win for the Cardinals. In Week 10, he recorded one tackle, one sack, and the first forced fumble of his career in a 31-6 win against the New York Jets. He finished the season with 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection in 14 games.

On November 28, 2025, Thomas was waived by the Cardinals. [9]

Houston Texans

On December 3, 2025, Thomas signed with the Houston Texans' practice squad. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 "Xavier Thomas". Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site. June 29, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  2. ↑ Keepfer, Scott (August 6, 2020). "Clemson football standout Xavier Thomas planning to redshirt 2020 season". The Greenville News. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  3. ↑ Connolly, Matt (September 25, 2020). "Clemson's Xavier Thomas is ahead of schedule in his comeback from COVID-19". The State . Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  4. ↑ Gates, Riley (October 31, 2020). "WATCH: Xavier Thomas ejected, will miss first half against ND". 247 Sports. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Xavier Thomas Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  6. ↑ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Xavier Thomas College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Clemson 2024 Pro Day Results". ClemsonTigers.com. March 14, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  8. ↑ Romero, José M. (April 27, 2024). "Xavier Thomas to Cardinals in NFL draft: Instant grade, analysis for 138th pick". azcentral. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  9. ↑ Urban, Darren (November 28, 2025). "Cardinals Release Xavier Thomas". AZCardinals.com.
  10. ↑ "Houston Texans Transactions (12-03-2025)". houstontexans.com. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
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