Mississippi State wide receiver Zavion Thomas enters transfer portal
Starkville – Mississippi State’s offense took a major hit on Tuesday as sophomore wide receiver Zavion Thomas announced that he intends to enter the transfer portal.
Thomas, a dynamic receiver and punt returner, was one of the Bulldogs’ breakout offensive stars this season and finished second on the team with 40 receptions and 503 receiving yards.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound pass catcher is one of the fastest players in the SEC and was named a Freshman All-American punt returner last season. He took back a punt for a touchdown against Georgia as a freshman and ranked fifth nationally with 13.5 yards per punt return. This season, Thomas averaged 11.6 yards per punt return which was 13th in college football and ran back a kickoff for a touchdown against Texas A&M.
Thomas, a Woodmere, Louisiana native, entered the transfer portal last December but ended up withdrawing his name a few weeks later. A return to The Boot at LSU is a fit that could make sense for the talented sophomore. He will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next school.
As a recruit, Mike Leach and Mississippi State flipped the three-star receiver from Louisville. He also had offers from Liberty, Memphis, Tulane and Southern Miss.
Thomas is Mississippi State's fourth starter to enter the transfer portal, joining quarterback Will Rogers, tight end Ryland Goede and right guard Steven Losoya. The Bulldogs have seen eight scholarship players in total enter the transfer portal.
With Tulu Griffin announcing on Sunday that he would be declaring for the NFL Draft, the Bulldogs have now lost their two leading receivers from the 2023 roster.
Jeff Lebby will need to rebuild the position group, as the team’s leading returning receiver is Justin Robinson who had 257 yards. Freshman Creed Whittemore is a name the Bulldogs have high hopes for while four-star J.J. Harrell is the highest ranked prospect in Mississippi State’s recruiting class.
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