Congrats to Former Clemson Star Edge Rusher

Congrats to this former Clemson star edge rusher.

Tuesday marked the NFL’s roster cutdown day, with teams having to trim their rosters down to 53 players by the 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Xavier Thomas wasn’t among the players who got released, as the Arizona Cardinals announced their initial 53-man roster , and Thomas is one of the five players who made the cut for Arizona at the outside linebacker position.

After earning a spot on the team, Thomas is ready to get to work in his rookie season with the Cardinals, as you can see below.

Thomas was selected in the fifth round (138th overall) of this year’s NFL Draft, and the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder looked like one of the steals of the draft with his strong performance in the preseason .

Making the Cardinals’ 53-man roster is certainly a well-deserved accomplishment for Thomas, who has had a long journey to where he is now.

An explosive talent who earned near-unanimous freshman All-American honors at Clemson in 2018, Thomas is a story of perseverance.

The former five-star and No. 3 overall national recruit has spoken openly about battling depression, COVID-19 and injuries over the course of his career, during which he overcame plenty of adversity to become a valued veteran leader/impact player.

During a productive sixth and final season at Clemson in 2023, Thomas tallied 28 tackles (4.0 for loss), 3.0 sacks, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to go with a team-high 21 quarterback pressures over 12 games (11 starts).

A two-time all-conference selection (2019 and 2021), Thomas was credited with 133 tackles (34.0 for loss), nine pass breakups, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over 61 games (30 starts) from 2018-23. He exited Clemson as one of nine players in school history to play in 60 career games with the Tigers.

A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available.  Get yours while supplies last!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!