Xavier Thomas

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

Xavier Thomas

Thomas with the Clemson Tigers in 2019
No. 54 – Arizona Cardinals
Position	Linebacker
Roster status	Active
Personal information
Born	(1999-12-20) December 20, 1999 (age 25) Florence, South Carolina, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	250 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
Arizona Cardinals (2024–present)
Awards and highlights
CFP national champion (2018) 2× Third-team All-ACC (2019, 2021)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Tackles 10 Sacks 2.5 Forced fumbles 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference

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

Season	Games	Tackles
		Total	Solo	Ast	TFL	Sacks
Clemson Tigers
2018	14	33	18	15	8.5	3.5
2019	12	27	10	17	8.0	1.5
2020	5	6	4	2	4.0	3.5
2021	11	21	12	9	6.5	4.5
2022	3	4	2	2	2.0	2.0
2023	12	25	16	9	4.0	3.0
Career	57	116	62	54	33	18

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-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 s	1.55 s	2.69 s	32.5 in (0.83 m)	10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)	26 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[5][6][7]

2024

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 NFL 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 3 tackles and 1.5 sacks (the first of his career) in a 29-9 win for the Cardinals. In Week 10, he recorded 1 tackle, 1 sack, and the first forced fumble of his career in a 31-6 win against the New York Jets.