By Hunt Palmer
Pinning a single role or position on Zavion Thomas can’t really be done.
The senior transfer from Mississippi State does a little bit of everything for LSU, and his fall camp has really impressed LSU’s coaches and assembled media.
Thomas makes daily catches over the middle of the field and has even been used out of the backfield as a ball carrier as LSU prepares for the 2025 season.
“He’s a talented runner of the football,” said LSU head coach Brian Kelly. “Certainly, from a wide receiver standpoint he helped out team last year. We felt like he could help us even more. (His role) has grown.”
Thomas made 23 catches a season ago and scored a pair of receiving touchdowns. He also ran the ball nine times for 76 yards including a 26-yard jaunt against South Alabama.
He made his mark in the SEC as a return specialist, housing a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns as a Bulldog. Last season he appeared to have broken a couple of kickoffs but was just tripped up before he could enter the open field. That is until the Texas Bowl when he finally split the seam for a 95-yard kickoff return score. He ended up leading the SEC in kickoff return yards with 633 yards on a 26.4 yard average.
ZAVION THOMAS TO THE 🏠 @LSUfootball pic.twitter.com/PtyqF1bOc4
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 31, 2024
He was the only player on LSU’s roster to catch a pass, run the ball, and return both a kickoff and a punt.
Thomas is undersized for a traditional receiver, just 5-foot-9. But he’s got exceptional vision and breakaway speed.
LSU added gamebreaking receivers from SEC rivals in Barion Brown and Nic Anderson, but that didn’t scare Thomas away. He’s embraced the challenge of getting to the field.
“I think the first thing that stands out is his leadership,” Kelly said. “He’s been great in the offseason. There’s more of a comfort level in how things are done here coming in from Mississippi State. Obviously, he impacted our team last year, but we felt like his role could be expanded.”
Expect Thomas to take handoffs as a wrinkle in the evolving LSU run game. He’ll man the slot at times in the role Aaron Anderson has played so well. He’ll also be called upon to do some kick returning though Brown has starred in that role at Kentucky as well.
On an offense loaded with talent, Thomas is finding favor with the coaches and producing when given a chance on the practice field.
While some may have suggested his role may diminish with the talent influx, Kelly sees it the other way.
“I think it’s grown because he’s handled it so well in all the other areas,” the head coach said. “He’s been a really good representative of what we want to do and how we do it, and we’re going to reward guys like that.”
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