Clemson football: 5 questions the Clemson Tigers must answer in 2020

4. Will Xavier Thomas play up to his talent level?

Xavier Thomas came to Clemson with a ton of hype behind him. The strongside defensive end was the No. 1 recruit in the 2018 class at his position and the No. 3 overall player in the class, per 247 Sports Composite Rankings. Subsequently, as he waited his turn behind the vaunted group that featured Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant, big things were expected from him.

Now entering his true junior season, though, Thomas has failed to live up to those expectations. He flashed as a freshman, coming up with 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in a backup role. That only further increased the hype as he would be called upon as a bonafide star on the defensive line in the 2019 campaign.

That didn’t happen. Thomas dealt with injury issues, most notably with concussions, throughout his sophomore season and his play suffered. He appeared in 12 games for the Tigers but registered only 8.0 tackles for loss and a highly disappointing 1.5 sacks on the season. That wasn’t just short of him being a star but you could argue he was almost ineffective.

When it comes to raw physical talent, there are few players in the entire country who can match what Thomas brings to the table. The 6-foot-2, 265-pounder is a stud in terms of his tools but needs to be a stud on the field. Clemson will be looking for game-changers on defense to keep that side of the ball humming and Thomas is someone who will be in the spotlight in that arena.