How Domonique Thomas took advantage of Will Shipley's absence at Clemson football spring game

CLEMSON – Domonique Thomas has waited a long time to make an impression on the Clemson fan base.

It may have just been a spring game – a glorified scrimmage, if you will – but Thomas finally got his shot.

The 5-foot-8, 215-pounder from Ohatchee, Alabama, who had all of seven carries for 31 yards last season, more than doubled that Saturday on a sun-splashed day at Memorial Stadium, emerging as the leading rusher in the game with 63 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Spring game?

Who cares? Thomas had earned his day in the sun and he took advantage of the absence of All-ACC running back Will Shipley, who sat out the game as “a precaution” after being somewhat limited during the majority of spring practice.

Had Saturday’s spring game been an actual game, Shipley would have suited up.

Instead, Thomas became a workhorse.

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A third-team running back who came to Clemson as a walk-on in January 2022, Thomas quickly gained a following among his Tigers teammates and was awarded a scholarship prior to last season.

It wasn’t as though he didn’t come without credentials.

He was a first-team all-state selection at Ohatchee High in 2019 after rushing for 2,020 yards with 33 touchdowns. He then played six games at Union College in Kentucky in 2020, gaining 527 yards and scoring six touchdowns before deciding he’d like to chase a dream of playing at a “big-time school.”

Clemson became his choice.

Nicknamed “Quadzilla” as a nod to his thick quadriceps muscles, he impressed coach Dabo Swinney first, then won over his new teammates with his commitment and diligence as well as his thighs.

“I’ve never seen bigger quadriceps,” running backs coach C.J. Spiller said.

In a throwback reference to yesteryear, Swinney has compared Thomas’s stature to NFL Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell.

Suffice to say it’s an accurate comparison.

When you’re stuck behind players such as Shipley and Phil Mafah in the Clemson backfield, playing time isn’t likely to come in large chunks.

“Obviously we've got two stallions in Phil and Ship, but I’m glad y’all got a chance to see him (Thomas)," Swinney said.

“He’s a big, thick kid, but he’s loose in the hips and he’s got great vision and he’s downhill. He’s a patient runner. He knows how the run the ball. He can help us. Domonique has shown that he can be a very dependable guy for us.”

Thomas will take what he can get, at least for now.

Who knows what the future holds for him, but for one glorious Saturday Quadzilla was a monster.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Domonique Thomas steps up for Will Shipley in Clemson spring game