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Clemson Football: Xavier Thomas ranked No. 7 DL in the nation

By Shawn Spencer

WINSTON SALEM, NC - OCTOBER 06: Xavier Thomas #3 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after a defensive play against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at BB&T Field on October 6, 2018 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
WINSTON SALEM, NC - OCTOBER 06: Xavier Thomas #3 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after a defensive play against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at BB&T Field on October 6, 2018 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Clemson football DE Xavier Thomas was ranked the No. 7 defensive lineman in the nation for the upcoming 2019 season by USA Today sports.

USA Today released its rankings for the top-10 defensive linemen in the nation and had one Clemson football player on the list.

While most of these defensive linemen are veterans that have started multiple seasons or have come off an impressive outing from a year before, the youngest player on this list is Clemson football’s Xavier Thomas.

Though Thomas didn’t start last season, he saw plenty of playing time behind Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant at defensive end. He was able to learn under the two veterans and now is in position to make an impact himself as one of the top edge-rushers in the nation.

Here’s a look at the top 10, according to USA Today.

  1. Chase Young (Ohio State)
  2. AJ Epenesa (Iowa)
  3. Derrick Brown (Auburn)
  4. Raekwon Davis (Alabama)
  5. Kenny Willekes (Michigan State)
  6. Bradlee Anae (Utah)
  7. Xavier Thomas (Clemson)
  8. Leki Fotu (Utah)
  9. Curtis Weaver (Boise State)
  10. Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State)

Thoughts:

Curtis Weaver, the Boise State defensive lineman, is the only other sophomore to be on the list and he is a redshirt.

It’s clear that Thomas’s explosiveness and monster ability to get in the backfield has impressed national analysts. Honestly, many believe he has the chance to be the best defensive end in the nation this season, but can’t say that yet because he hasn’t actually started a game.

He’s going to be a lot of fun to watch and will make an impact early on this season. Look for Thomas to have a great year racking up sacks and to pull a lot of double-teams trying to slow him down as the year progresses.

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Outside of Clemson, Utah is the only defensive line with two players on the list- Leki Fotu and Bradlee Anae- and that defensive line will certainly be a tough unit to deal with over in the Pac-12.

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