This NFL team has parted ways with a former Clemson standout.
The Arizona Cardinals recently announced they have released former Tiger edge rusher Xavier Thomas, due to a surplus of players at the outside linebacker position.
A two-time All-ACC selection at Clemson and 2018 national champion, Thomas was selected by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 138th overall pick.
Thomas, 25, didn’t record a defensive statistic this season while appearing in four games for Arizona. He played 15 total defensive snaps and 42 special teams snaps across those four contests.
As a rookie last season, the 6-foot-2, 250-pounder posted 10 total tackles, two tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a pass defended over 14 games.
Thomas made an immediate impact as a reserve at Clemson in 2018, earning near-unanimous freshman All-American acclaim. A two-time all-conference selection in 2019 and 2021, he was credited with 133 tackles (34.0 for loss), nine pass breakups, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over 61 games (30 starts) in his career as a Tiger from 2018-23.
A former five-star recruit and top-five national prospect, Thomas racked up a team-high 21 quarterback pressures to go with 28 tackles (4.0 for loss), three sacks, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery over 12 games (11 starts) in 2023. He exited Clemson as one of nine players in school history — one of seven non-specialists and one of four defensive players — to play in 60 career games at Clemson.
–Photo courtesy of Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images