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Five-star defensive end Xavier Thomas announced that his commitment will go to either Clemson or South Carolina. Thomas is the No. 5 player in the 2018 recruiting class. 

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There are less than two months until National Signing Day hits and wraps up the 2017 recruiting class.

But, as we sit in the recruiting dead period, news broke on Tuesday night regarding one of the top prospects in the 2018 class. Five-star recruit Xavier Thomas, the No. 2 defensive end and No. 5 overall player in the cycle made a major announcement that he intends to play college football in his home state of South Carolina.

It was announced last month that Thomas would transfer to the IMG Academy to complete his high school career. The 5-star defensive end released a statement regarding his decision to only consider Clemson and South Carolina.

“I appreciate all the schools and coaches who have recruited me. Leaving my home my family and my state to attend IMG [Academy] makes it hard to leave. But it makes it an even easier matter when it is time to return to my home, my family and my state once I graduate from IMG. So, after much talk with my parents, I am committing to returning to my home state of South Carolina to play for either USC [South Carolina] or Clemson. I do not know which school I will be attending yet. That is a decision that I will make next year after following both schools’ athletic programs’ progress, [assessing] each school’s educational opportunities and, more importantly, after careful consideration of my family’s feedback. I also would like to take the moemnt to give [a] special thanks to my granddad, grandmom, aunt JoAnn, my parents, and the rest of my amazing family for always being there for me no matter what. God bless!”

At 6-foot-3, 249 lbs Thomas is everything you want in a defensive end. He explodes off the ball, is extremely gifted athleticially, has elite pass rushing skills and plays with both his mind and his body — very high I.Q. on the field. He’d find early playing time at nearly every major program in the country, so either the Gamecocks or Tigers will be getting a stud in their respective 2018 recruiting classes.

Note: Scout rankings, ratings and photos used in this article.

MORE: Campus Insiders’ 2016 Freshman All-American Team