Dedan Thomas Jr. injury update: Matt McMahon shares positive news on transfer guard

Dedan Thomas Jr. was the best addition of the offseason by far for LSU. He’ll now be fully ready to play this season per the latest update from Matt McMahon.

Per McMahon, and according to reporting by Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports, Thomas Jr. has gotten clearance to return to on-court activities. That’s after a shoulder injury was season-ending for him last year in Las Vegas.

Thomas Jr., a Las Vegas native, spent the first two seasons, with 60 starts made, with UNLV. He averaged 14.5 points (43.2% FG, 35.8% 3PT on 1.0 makes), 4.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game while with the Rebels. He then improved his scoring a bit, at lesser percentages, to 15.6 points (41.3% FG, 35.3% 3PT) while also posting 4.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds this past season as a sophomore. That earned him several league honors while there, like being 2024 Mountain West Rookie of the Year and All-Mountain West twice on the Second Team in 2024 and the Third Team in 2025.

A shoulder injury, though, ended his career in mid-February. Thomas Jr. would be out indefinitely, with him having to wear a brace, and would go on to not play again for UNLV.

That’s after Thomas Jr. committed as an in-city prospect to UNLV. He attended Liberty in Las Vegas as the No. 35 overall recruit, being a Top-10 PG and the No. 1 prospect from Nevada, and a four-star according to Rivals’ Industry Ranking in 2023.

After spending his underclassman seasons at his hometown program, Thomas Jr. entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on March 18th as the No. 21 transfer and No. 7 PG per On3’s 2025 Top Transfer Portal Players. He then, after apparent interest from schools like Florida, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and UCLA, would commit to Louisiana State less than two weeks after his entry on March 31st, going on to be the top commitment out of seven additions this cycle for LSU. The Tigers were able to land him in part because of a reported deal worth two million dollars in NIL.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dedan Thomas Jr., to Baton Rouge,” McMahon said of Thomas Jr. as of his signing. “Dedan is a creative and skilled point guard who makes everyone around him better. We love his ability to orchestrate the offense, get into the paint off the bounce, and shoot the ball from behind the 3-point arc. His vision on the court, unselfishness, and ability to throw the lob pass are fun to watch. I am really excited about his passion for player development and the opportunity to play at LSU.”

Thomas Jr. has been one of the better young guards in the sport over his first two seasons. Now, fully coming off of injury per McMahon, he’ll look to continue that trend as he transfers cross country to the bayou for his junior year.