2022 Freshman All-America, Punt Returner (FWAA)

Mississippi State transfer … Prepped at John Ehret High School in New Orleans … Versatile offensive and special teams threat … Has big-play capability each time the ball touches his hands … 2022 Freshman All-America as a punter returner from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) … Ranked No. 11 in the SEC in yards per play with 12.4 every time he touched the ball in 2023 … Has returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown during his 2-year collegiate career … Caught 40 passes for 503 yards and a TD in 2023 … Added 202 yards on 6 kickoff returns and 163 yards on 14 punt returns … Returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown against Texas A&M in 2023 … Returned a punt for a 63-yard touchdown vs. Georgia in 2022 … Appeared in 22 games at Mississippi State, starting 8 times … Has 42 career receptions for 507 yards and a TD … Has scored TDs 3 ways – 1 rushing, 1 punt return, and 1 kickoff return.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2023 at Mississippi State)
Appeared in 11 games while making eight starts … Caught 40 passes for 503 yards and one touchdown … Averaged 45.7 yards per game … Finished second on the team in both yards and receptions … Averaged 5.6 receptions per game following the Auburn game, after averaging just 2.4 reception in the first five games of the season … Earned his first 100-yard receiving game and caught his first career touchdown at Auburn … His 503 receiving yards ranked 28th in the SEC, while his 45.7 per game average ranked 20th … He earned his highest offense grade of the season (85.3) at Auburn, his next best was against Ole Miss (77.4) according to PFF … Arizona (9/9): Made his season debut … Returned one punt for 25 yards … LSU (9/16): Made his first career start at wide receiver … Caught three passes for 52 yards … Set career highs in receptions (3), receiving yards (52) and longest catch (22) … Recorded his first career rushing attempt, earning two yards … at South Carolina (9/23): Caught 5 passes for 56 yards … Set career highs in receptions (5), and receiving yards (56) … Returned one kick for 14 yards … Returned three punts for 19 total yards … Alabama (9/30): Caught one pass for eight yards … Returned three kicks for a total of 73 yards … Western Michigan (10/7): Had one catch for 15 yards … Returned 4 punt for a total of 48 yards … His 48 punt return yards are a career high in a game … at Arkansas (10/21): Caught two passes for 23 yards … Returned one punt for 31 yards … at Auburn (10/28): Caught nine passes for 112 yards and a touchdown … This was his first career 100-yard receiving game … Also caught his first touchdown pass of his career … Kentucky (11/4): Caught six passes for 44 yards … His six catches were a team-high … Added two rushes for three yards … at Texas A&M (11/11): Caught four passes for 39 yards … Has caught a pass in eight consecutive games … Ran the ball once for three yards … Returned two kicks for 115 yards and a touchdown … Returned the opening kickoff of the game 94 yards for a touchdown (first career kickoff return touchdown) … First player since Tulu Griffin to total over 100 kickoff return yards in a single game … Southern Miss (11/18): Caught three passes for 66 yards … Has caught a pass in nine consecutive games … Had a career long 35-yard reception … Ran the ball three times for 14 yards … Ole Miss (11/23): Caught six passes for 88 yards … Has caught a pass in ten consecutive games … His six catches led the team … This was his fourth career game with five or more receptions … Ran the ball three times for 14 yards … Returned three punts for a total of 24 yards.

TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON (2022 at Mississippi State)
Named to the FWAA Freshman All-America Team as a Punt Returner … Appeared in 11 games … Finished with 15 punt returns for an average of 13.5 yards, good for fifth in the nation and second in the SEC … Also tied the SEC lead with one punt return touchdown … at Arizona (9/10): Returned two punts with 29 yards including one 20-yard return in his MSU debut … Returned a total of 15 punts for 202 yards … at LSU(9/17): Returned a pair of punts for an average of 24.0 yards per return … Bowling Green (9/24): Returned a kickoff 21 yards … Texas A&M (10/1): Returned one punt for five yards … Arkansas (10/8): Had a pair of punt returns for an average of 6.0 yards per return … Georgia (11/12): Returned a punt 63-yards for a touchdown … ETSU (11/19): Hauled in his first two career receptions for a total of four yards … Returned a kickoff 27 yards … at Ole Miss (11/24): Returned two punts a total of 34 yards … Had his two kickoff returns go for a total of 47 yards.

HIGH SCHOOL
Prepped at John Ehret High School under head coach Reggie Rogers … Four-star prospect per ESPN, 247Sports and On3 … Considered a three-star prospect by Rivals … Rated as ESPN’s No. 22 prospect out of Louisiana and No. 14 in the state by 247Sports … Finished his senior season with more than 2,000 all-purpose yards … Totaled 1,025 receiving yards on 37 catches with 18 touchdowns … Rushed for 779 yards and six touchdowns … Also returned punts, taking three back for touchdowns while collecting 379 yards … Earned first team all-district honors as a junior … Collected 45 receptions for 1,050 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior … Also competed in track, where he clocked an 11.08 in the 100m as a junior and ran on the state’s sixth place finishing 4x100m relay … Committed to MSU on November 25, 2021.

Zavion Thomas’ Career Highs
Receptions: 9 at Auburn, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Receiving Yards: 112 at Auburn, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Receiving TDs: 1 at Auburn, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Long Reception: 35 vs. Southern Miss, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Rush Attempts: 3, 2x (Last: vs. Ole Miss, 2023) (Mississippi State)
Rushing Yards: 14, 2x (Last: vs. Ole Miss, 2023) (Mississippi State)
Long Rush: 11 vs. Ole Miss, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Kickoff Returns: 3 vs. Alabama, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Kickoff Returns Yards: 115 at Texas A&M, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Long Kickoff Return: 94 (TD) at Texas A&M, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Punt Returns: 4 vs. Western Michigan, 2023 (Mississippi State)
Punt Returns Yards: 71 vs. Georgia, 2022 (Mississippi State)
Long Punt Return: 63 (TD) vs. Georgia, 2022 (Mississippi State)

Zavion Thomas’ Career 100-Yard Games (1)
2023
112 (9 rec.) at Auburn, Oct. 28