‘He’s a freak.’ Clemson freshman D-lineman already receiving high praise

Clemson senior Albert Huggins isn’t one to dish out unearned praise.

The Orangeburg native has played and practiced alongside several highly-touted defenders since arriving at Clemson as a top-100 prospect in the country in 2015 and it takes a lot to impress him.

The latest Tigers recruiting class, which was ranked No. 7 in the country with highly-rated defenders such as Xavier Thomas, KJ Henry, Mike Jones Jr., Kyler McMichael and others, still has a ways to go, according to Huggins.

“Every freshman has work to do. They’re not perfect and I hope they know they’re not perfect,” Huggins said. “Nobody’s perfect. As long as they know they’re not perfect and keep their head down and work hard, it’ll take care of itself.”

While Huggins is typically reserved when it comes to evaluating teammates, even he had to admit that freshman defensive end Xavier Thomas has a chance to be special.

“Xavier Thomas, he’s a freak, man,” Huggins said. “I haven’t seen nobody get off the ball like that in a long time. I seen Dodd get off the ball like that, Kevin Dodd, but (Thomas) can get off the ball.”

Dodd has struggled in the NFL, partly because of injuries, but he was a star during his time at Clemson.

He recorded 23.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a junior for the Tigers before being drafted by the Titans in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. Dodd was known for his quick first step during his time with the Tigers, which is something Thomas also possesses.

Huggins added that Thomas also has been getting more comfortable on campus recently after arriving prior to the spring and he is showing his personality more to his teammates.

“Xavier, he’s a quiet guy. I feel like by him just being here long enough he’s opening up a little bit more and he’s communicating more with us and having fun with us,” Huggins said. “I feel like that’s what players need to get through camp, to get through the season, have fun and communicate with your bros. He’s grown by communicating.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2018 at 6:45 PM.