Not surprisingly, No. 4 Clemson is erring on the side of caution when it comes to one of its top players on the defensive side of the ball.
Because of a concussion sustained during practice in the week leading up to its Oct. 19 game, Xavier Thomas was held out of the win over Louisville. While there was some optimism that he would be available for the following Saturday’s game, he missed the win over Boston College as well.
Now, with what’s essentially an in-season scrimmage on tap in Week 10, it’s being reported that Thomas won’t see the field against FCS Wofford as well. TigerNet.com wrote that, "[a]ccording to Clemson officials, the plan is for him to go through pre-game warmups but not play.”
The expectation is likely that, after sitting out this weekend, the defensive end will be healthy and ready to go for the North Carolina State game a week from today.
In six games this season (four starts), Thomas, a preseason All-American, has six quarterback hits and 4½ tackles for loss.
A five-star 2018 signee, Thomas was the No. 3 player at any position on 247Sports.com‘s composite board, behind only a pair of quarterbacks — teammate Trevor Lawrence and Georgia’s Justin Fields, who ultimately transferred to Ohio State.
