Rising in-state star Xavier Thomas: The next Clowney?

Chad Eaddy’s initial plan was to bring Xavier Thomas along slowly during his freshman season at Wilson High, but Thomas wouldn’t let him.

After the first few practices, the former Wilson coach’s plan of having Thomas start the year on the junior varsity squad quickly was thrown out the window. The defensive end responded with a big first year, recording 59 tackles, including 21 for loss, and eight sacks.

Thomas was named to MaxPreps’ Freshman All-American team and started racking up Division I offers before his sophomore season.

“Once we got pads on, there was no JV for him,” said Eaddy, who coached Thomas his first two years before resigning in November and is now coaching in Kansas City. “He was a starter from day one, and produced at a high level from the beginning.”

Thomas’ stock continued to rise, and he has 22 Division I offers after receiving one from Miami on Friday. South Carolina and Clemson both covet the in-state product and are making him a top priority for the Class of 2018.

Thomas lists USC and Clemson in his top four, along with Florida State and Ohio State. FSU was the first school to offer him and where former Wilson standout and current Steelers All-Pro linebacker Lawrence Timmons played in college.

Thomas has made several visits to USC and Clemson over the past two years and attended camps at both schools this summer.

Thomas said both have great selling points other then getting a chance to play close to home. He said new USC coach Will Muschamp told him if he goes there, he can be the face of the program and turn things around on defense much like Jadeveon Clowney did when he played for the Gamecocks.

As for Clemson, Thomas said the Tigers are “red hot right now” after a trip to the national title game, and coach Dabo Swinney told him he’s their No. 1 recruit for 2018. He also likes defensive end coach Marion Hobby.

Thomas likely will make a college decision in the spring before his senior season.

“I am having a lot of fun in the recruiting process, I’m not too much focused on it though,” Thomas said. “I’m focusing on the football season more now so we can have a successful season.”

Colleges weren’t the only schools interested in Thomas, as IMG Academy in Florida tried to get him to finish his high school career there. He declined and will remain at Wilson.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder is the top-ranked prospect in the state for the Class of 2018 and in the top five nationally of most recruiting services. 247Sports ranks Thomas as No. 3 in his class, and he’s been invited to play in the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

“He has already got college size and is put together well,” 247Sports National College Football Recruiting Insider Ryan Bartow said. “He has produced from early on and is a difference maker at a position you need to have in college.”

Other than the attention and interest, Bartow said Thomas’ skill set is different from Clowney. He said the junior’s skills and body type are similar to former Bamberg-Ehrhardt High and Clemson standout Daquan Bowers, who has played five seasons in the NFL.

Like Bowers, Thomas is playing on both sides of the ball in high school. As a sophomore, Thomas was also a running back and rushed for nearly 600 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with his 70 tackles and nine sacks on defense.

“One of the first things that stands out for him is his focus. He is dialed in and focused,” Bartow said. “He knows he has a chance to be special and wants to be the best.”

Thomas made a big splash at Nike’s The Opening earlier this month in Oregon. He was one of only six juniors at the invitation-only event which features the top prospects in the nation. At The Opening, Thomas got a variety of teaching, including from Dolphins defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.

Thomas’ 120.39 rating was ninth best of the 166 players in attendance. He ran a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash and 4.3 in the shuttle drills.

“My confidence was boosted due to the fact I beat upperclassmen going against the best of the best,” Thomas said. “However, I still remain humble and know I have to work even harder to really dominate The Opening next year.”

Eaddy believes that won’t be a problem and praised Thomas’ work ethic on the field and in the classroom. Thomas credits his hard-working nature to his mom and everything she has done to provide for him.

“When he came off the field, he never once asks about stats or how many sacks he has. He asks about technique and what he needs to do to improve. He is a technician and studies his craft. He always wants to get better,” Eaddy said. “Most kids would be happy with being in the top three in the country. He is like, ‘What do I have to do be No. 1 and 2.’ You love those kids. He is whatever adjectives that kids are saying these days, beast, monster, etc.

“He is the real deal. I thank my lucky stars I got a chance to coach a kid like that.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Rising in-state star Xavier Thomas: The next Clowney?."