Zavion Thomas

Former wide receiver at LSU. 2025: 41 catches, 488 receiving yards, 4 TD.

WR · LSU · Sr.

5′10″ · 192 lb · Woodmere, LA

CFB Index 53 · #194 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceAll-ConferenceDrafted by Chicago — Rd 3, Pick 25, #89 overall

How he plays

Moves the chains on third down.

TD rate: 87th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

488

receiving yards · 2025

41 catches · 4 TD · 11.9 per catch

Backed by 9 rec · 112 yds · 1 TD -- top 1% catches game.

Swing playSwung LSU from 57% to 81% to win.LSU at Oklahoma · 17-13

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former wide receiver at LSU. 2025: 41 catches, 488 receiving yards, 4 TD.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Mississippi State in 2021.
Transferred from Mississippi State to LSU in 2024.
Drafted round 3 by the Chicago in 2026.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at LSU, 1,213 receiving yards — drafted at #89 overall by Chicago.

His career

He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.

The week the volume broke through — put up 112 yds at Auburn.Auburn · L 13-272023

2021

Signed with Mississippi State3-star out of Eufaula

20229 games

Signed with Mississippi State4-star out of John Ehret

202311 games

Entered the portal

202413 games

Entered the portal
All-SEC

202513 games

All-SEC

2026

Drafted by Chicagoround 3, pick 89

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#756 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2022–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #89

Chicago · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 honors · 1 category

🎖

ALL-SEC

All-SEC mention (2025)

Coaching lineage · 2022–2025

2 coaches

2022–2024

Brian Kelly

LSU

2025

Frank Wilson

LSU

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Brian Kelly → Frank Wilson. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Chicago2026 NFL rookie season

#89Rd 3 · Pick 25

Chicago2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022Mississippi State9-4HC: Mike Leach · Pass-heavy

2023Mississippi State5-7HC: Greg Knox · Run-leaning, slow tempo

2024LSU9-4HC: Brian Kelly · Pass-leaning

2025LSU7-6HC: Frank Wilson · Balanced, slow tempo

Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

53Rotational starter #194 of 485?

High confidenceAscending13 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: td rate (87th percentile). Strength: rush yards (93rd percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

TD rate#103 / 798 · 87th pct

5.9%

Yards / catch#288 / 798 · 64th pct

12.7

EPA / target#322 / 798 · 60th pct

0.48

Explosive rate#454 / 798 · 43rd pct

8.8%

Catch rate#492 / 798 · 38th pct

64.7%

Box-score rates (8)

Rush yards#22 / 287 · 93rd pct

Rush TDs#19 / 287 · 85th pct

Fumbles lost#1 / 218 · 81st pct

Long catch#138 / 558 · 74th pct

Rec TDs#152 / 558 · 68th pct

Receptions#178 / 558 · 68th pct

Rec yards#233 / 558 · 58th pct

488

Yards / catch#344 / 558 · 38th pct

11.9

Season trend

Last seasonThis season

EPA / target

5th → 60th percentile

Explosive rate

5th → 43rd percentile

Catch rate

0th → 38th percentile

TD rate

19th → 87th percentile

Yards / catch

23rd → 64th percentile

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Situational

Situational · Share of own targets (PBP, 2025)

Third-down role

29%10 of his 34 targets came on third down · Receiver median is 24%

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Home7g	3.4	33.9	9.4	0.3
Road6g	2.8	41.8	15.6	0.3

First half vs Second half

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Weeks 1-77g	2.3	28.4	13.1	0.3
Weeks 8+6g	4.2	48.2	11.3	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Lane Kiffin

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

53 · #194 of 485 WRs

Former four-star. Now #194 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	LSU	41	488	11.9	4	--
2024	LSU	23	218	9.5	2	--
2023	Mississippi State	40	503	12.6	1	--
2022	Mississippi State	2	4	2.0	0	--
Career		106	1,213	11.4	7	--

Season	Team
2025	LSU	19	99	22	170	--
2024	LSU	9	76	633	66	--
2023	Mississippi State	12	23	202	163	--
2022	Mississippi State	--	--	95	202	1
Career		40	198	952	601	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025

W 17–10

at Clemson

16 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR -1.0 · 26 rush yds (3 car)

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 on the road.

With G. Chadwick — 41 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 52 LONG · G. Nussmeier — 232 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR -1.0 · 2 rush yds (4 car)

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 8 · Vanderbilt · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +6.04Garrett Nussmeier pass complete to Zavion Thomas for 62 yds for a TD (Garrett Nussmeier pass to Trey'Dez Green for Two-Point Conversion)
Week 2 · Louisiana Tech · 2&15 · Q1 · EPA +3.86Zavion Thomas run for 48 yds to the LT 12 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · SE Louisiana · 4&11 · Q2 · EPA +3.12Garrett Nussmeier pass complete to Zavion Thomas for 17 yds to the SELA 18 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · SE Louisiana · 3&9 · Q2 · EPA +3.01Garrett Nussmeier pass complete to Zavion Thomas for 9 yds for a TD (Damian Ramos KICK)
Week 5 · Ole Miss · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.85Garrett Nussmeier pass complete to Zavion Thomas for 50 yds to the MISS 17 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · Houston · 3&3 · Q4 · EPA +2.62Zavion Thomas 3 Yd Run (Damian Ramos Kick)
Week 3 · Florida · 3&5 · Q2 · EPA +2.41Garrett Nussmeier pass complete to Zavion Thomas for 15 yds to the LSU 44 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · Houston · 4&1 · Q2 · EPA +2.07#0 Z.Thomas rush left for 1 yard gain to the HOU46 (#15 W.James), 1ST DOWN
Week 2 · Louisiana Tech · 3&3 · Q1 · EPA +2.02Garrett Nussmeier pass complete to Zavion Thomas for 11 yds to the LT 41 for a 1ST down
Week 11 · Alabama · 2&5 · Q3 · EPA +1.61(12:55) #18 G.Nussmeier pass complete short right to #0 Z.Thomas caught at ALA39, for 20 yards to the ALA34 (#5 D.Lee Jr.), 1ST DOWN

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week