Tag: james thompson jr

Former Wisconsin transfer defensive lineman set to visit former Big Ten West rival

Former Wisconsin transfer defensive lineman set to visit former Big Ten West rival

Former Wisconsin top defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. is set to visit Illinois, according to his post on X.

Thompson entered the transfer portal this week after five years with the Badgers. He was a prominent force along their defensive line in 2022 and 2023 before missing most of the 2024 season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

The experienced lineman received a flurry of offers after entering the portal. He has announced visits to Texas A&M and the Illini at this point.

Were he to commit to the Aggies, he’d follow in the footsteps of former Wisconsin lineman Rodas Johnson, who did so after the 2023 campaign.

If Illinois is the choice, he’d not only join a Big Ten rival but also a program set to play the Badgers in 2025. Illini coach Bret Bielema’s connection to Wisconsin will further that storyline.

Thompson Jr. totaled 52 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and five sacks in two seasons as a starter for the Badgers. He’d be a significant addition for an Illinois team that is set to lose production off its defensive line.

The Illini are 9-3 in 2024, tied for fifth in the Big Ten. It’s the program’s first nine-win season since 2007. A win in the Citrus Bowl over South Carolina would bring the program its first 10-win season since 2001.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, is working to build its defensive line with Thompson Jr., Curt Neal (transfer) and Elijah Hills (eligibility) all gone from the 2024 group. This position could do a lot to decide the result when these two teams meet in late-November.

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Former Wisconsin defensive lineman heavily pursued upon transfer portal entry

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman heavily-pursued upon transfer portal entry

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. picked up a collection of major offers after entering the transfer portal on Monday.

Thompson Jr. had expressed his intent to enter the portal on Dec. 4. This activity follows the portal opening on Dec. 9. He is one of 14 Badger scholarship players to enter and one of 16 overall from the program.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal tracker

His early wave of offers came from Illinois, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Cal, Stanford and Auburn. The heightened interest isn’t a surprise given Thompson Jr.’s experience and the premium put on depth and experience at the position.

The veteran lineman played five seasons with the Badgers. He was a standout in both 2022 and 2023, playing in all 26 games over that time and recording 52 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass deflections and a fumble recovery.

Thompson Jr. missed most of the 2024 season with a torn pectoral muscle suffered during the preseason. He returned for the Badgers’ Week 13 loss to Nebraska, though he only played seven snaps. He didn’t play in the finale against Minnesota.

His and starting defensive lineman Curt Neal’s transfer departures create a glaring area of need for the Badgers this offseason. The program is losing most of its key contributors at the position on a defensive line that struggled against some of the top teams on the schedule.

Thompson Jr. appears set to find a strong destination for his final season of eligibility, following in the footsteps of former Badger linemen Rodas Johnson and Gio Paez. It will be worth monitoring where he ends up, and what Wisconsin is able to do at the position entering 2025.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin top defensive lineman to enter transfer portal

BREAKING: Wisconsin top defensive lineman to enter transfer portal

The hits keep coming to Wisconsin’s two-deep depth chart. Yet another top contributor entered the transfer portal on Wednesday — top defensive lineman James Thompson Jr.

The veteran is the second key member of Wisconsin’s defensive line to enter the portal, joining Curt Neal. Those two and Trech Kekahuna are the three members of the team’s two-deep who have elected to finish their collegiate careers elsewhere.

Related: Key takeaways from Wisconsin’s early wave of transfer portal losses

Thompson Jr. missed most of the 2024 season with a torn pectoral muscle. He returned for the Badgers’ Week 13 game at Nebraska, then did not play during the finale against Minnesota. He played only seven snaps in the Badgers’ 44-25 rivalry loss to the Cornhuskers and did not record any statistics.

The veteran figured to lead the Badgers’ defensive line room before his training camp injury. He was among the team’s best at the position in 2023, recording 29 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and two pass deflections. His loss was a significant one for a defense that struggled up front for the latter portion of the season.

Thompson Jr. and Neal follow in the footsteps of Rodas Johnson and Gio Paez, two defensive linemen who transferred from the program after the 2023 season. Johnson and Paez landed at Texas A&M and LSU, respectively, though neither had a breakthrough 2024 season with their new school.

Wisconsin has a glaring portal need at defensive line with those two top contributors gone to the portal, and with veteran Elijah Hills out of eligibility. Cade McDonald and Ben Barten each may have one year remaining, but both walked during the program’s senior day. It’s possible that every contributor from the room in 2024 is gone off the 2025 roster.

While the program officially signed an impressive high school recruiting class on Tuesday, the bigger story is the departing talent.

For more on that departing talent, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal tracker.

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Wisconsin could lose key member on defense for entire season

Wisconsin loses experienced starter across defensive line to upper body injury.

As the Wisconsin Badgers started putting the finishing touches on preseason action, they received bad news on the defensive front. Defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. is likely to miss the entire 2024 season due to injury.

The school described the injury as “upper body”, and Thompson already underwent surgery for recovery. Head coach Luke Fickell spoke Monday about the loss of Thompson.

Now he’ll be in a little bit of a different role for us this year. I don’t know that we’ll have a chance to get him back…It doesn’t look like James is probably going to make it. I don’t know that we’ll have him for the year. There’s a lot of things that are still, we’ve got to wait and see. I don’t know if it’s a four- to five-month thing.

Thompson was going to be the most experienced defensive lineman on the roster.  He made 11 starts last season and recorded 29 tackles, which was the most on the team.

Wisconsin has gone 7-6 in each of the past two seasons. When the Associated Press Top 25 poll came out for the preseason, the Badgers were not in the rankings.

The Badgers will start the season Friday night against the Broncos of Western Michigan.

Wisconsin top defensive lineman likely to miss entire 2024 season

Wisconsin top defensive lineman likely to miss entire 2024 season

Wisconsin will likely play the 2024 season without veteran defensive lineman James Thompson Jr.

Reports surfaced last week that Thompson would be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. Confirmation came on Monday during Luke Fickell’s game-week press conference for Week 1 vs. Western Michigan.

Related: Wisconsin releases two-deep depth chart for Week 1 vs. Western Michigan

“I don’t know that we’ll have (James Thompson Jr.) for the year,” Fickell said. He specified the veteran defensive lineman had surgery last week and has a 4 to 5 month recovery timeline.

Thompson’s injury is a significant blow to a critical position on the Wisconsin defense. The redshirt senior totaled 29 tackles, 5 1/2 tackles for loss, three sacks and two pass deflections in 2023. He was one of the team’s better linemen last season and was expected to break out further in 2024.

The Badgers added transfers Elijah Hills (Albany) and Brandon Lane (Stephen F. Austin) at the position this offseason. The group is led by those two, plus returning contributors Curt Neal, Ben Barten and Cade McDonald. The Badgers were set to go six-deep at the position before losing Thompson,  their No. 1 option. The team’s depth and performance both take massive hits with this news.

Wisconsin’s first game-week depth chart lists Neal and Barten as the two starters and McDonald and Hills as the primary backups. Lane is sure to play a big role as will true freshman Dillan Johnson.

Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel may need to get creative to offset the loss of Thompson. That, or someone within the room emerges as difference-making option. The team will need the group to perform with preseason No. 3 Oregon, No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Penn State, No. 23 USC and No. 25 Iowa on the schedule.

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Report: Wisconsin top defensive lineman ‘out indefinitely’

Bad news for the Badgers defensive line

Wisconsin will reportedly be without its top defensive lineman for a significant portion of the 2024 football season.

That is redshirt senior James Thompson Jr., whom BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew reported is out indefinitely due to an upper-body injury suffered at fall camp practice.

Related: Where Wisconsin lands in USA TODAY’s latest 1-134 ranking for 2024 season

Thompson was one of the Badgers’ top defensive linemen in 2023, recording 29 total tackles, 5 1/2 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and two pass deflections. He was in line to lead the room in 2024 after the offseason departures of veterans Gio Paez (LSU) and Rodas Johnson (Texas A&M).

This news is a significant blow to a position group that was already somewhat thin entering the season.

Luke Fickell and Mike Tressel will rely heavily on Football Championship Subdivision transfers Brandon Lane (Stephen F. Austin) and Elijah Hills (Albany) to lead the team’s rotation at the position. Redshirt sophomore Curt Neal and redshirt seniors Cade McDonald and Ben Barten will all see increased snaps.

This news, while detrimental to the team’s chances in 2024, will give opportunities to redshirt freshman Jamel Howard and true freshman Dillan Johnson. If anything, it may accelerate the timelines of their respective developments.

Wisconsin finished 2023 with college football’s 41st-ranked rush defense, 135.1 yards allowed per game. That total came against a light Big Ten West schedule. The front seven, defensive line and linebackers will be tested further in 2024 with top-ranked Alabama, Oregon and Penn State on the schedule.

The timeline for Thompson Jr.’s absence is not known. Wisconsin would be best served to get him back by Oct. 26’s matchup against Penn State, which precedes the season’s final stretch of games at Iowa, vs. Oregon, at Nebraska and vs. Minnesota.

For more specifics on the injury and what it means, here is Colten’s original report.

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13 Wisconsin Badgers crack 2025 Senior Bowl watch list

13 Wisconsin Badgers crack 2025 Senior Bowl watch list

13 Wisconsin Badgers cracked the 2025 Senior Bowl watch list on Wednesday.

The 12th annual list includes 859 prospects from 180 programs across the country. The number usually dwindles to 110 players at the annual Feb. 1 contest in Mobile, Alabama, the home of the University of South Alabama.

On the offensive side, Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, wide receiver Will Pauling and running Chez Mellusi made the cut. Offensive linemen Jack Nelson, Joe Huber, Riley Mahlhan and Jake Renfro also represent UW’s offensive line on the list.

Defensively, linebacker Jaheim Thomas, outside linebacker John Pius, defensive lineman James Thompson Jr., defensive back RJ Delancy III, safety Hunter Wohler and cornerback Ricardo Hallman were listed as well.

Historically, the game format rosters its participants regionally into North and South teams. Since 2021, the bowl moved to American and National team designations with coaching staffs typically handpicked from two lower-ranked NFL teams.

Serving as somewhat of a post-season college football all-star bout, the Senior Bowl aims to showcase NFL Draft prospects who have finalized their college eligibility. NFL Network will broadcast the battle this winter.

WATCH: James Thompson Jr. is off to a terrific start this season

WATCH: James Thompson Jr. is off to a terrific start this season

Wisconsin defensive end James Thompson Jr. is off to a fantastic start this year, and recently earned himself Luke Fickell’s player of the game honors for the win over Purdue.

The 6-foot-5 defensive end has been bringing the pressure all season long, and as a result currently leads the Badgers in sacks at this early point of the year. He had two total sacks while playing sparingly in his first two seasons as a Badger, but has three as we head into the Wisconsin bye week.

Check out the best plays from the Wisconsin defensive end so far this season:

WATCH: Underrated Badgers defender leads team in sacks

Big man leading the way for Wisconsin so far

The Badgers football team has started the season 3-1 and they’ve won their last two contests heading into their bye week this week and James Thompson Jr. has been a huge part of their defensive success.

Thompson Jr. has recorded 15 total tackles (11 solo) including a team-high three sacks while also adding a pass deflection over the first four games of the year.

With Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton (15.5 combined sacks in 2022) both being drafted by the Steelers following the 2022 season, a lot of production was lost on the Badgers’ defense and Thompson Jr. could be the one who leads the team in sacks moving forward.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzzyj3n3jt6m7 player_id=none image=]

Wisconsin Badger one of PFF’s highest-graded returning Big Ten defensive tackles

PFF sees a depth piece emerging along Wisconsin’s 2023 defensive line

Wisconsin’s 2023 defense returns a slew of talent from its 2022 group. It’s a pleasant surprise, as a program that goes through a coaching change often sees high roster turnover on both sides of the football.

That was not the case with Luke Fickell taking over in Madison. The defense returns the bulk of its secondary, both inside linebackers, a chunk of its outside linebacking core and several players along the defensive line.

That all said, the losses are noteworthy. The 2022 defense was led in large part by defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and outside linebacker Nick Herbig. Both were selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft. The two players combined for 15.5 of the teams sacks, 83 tackles and 25.5 tackles-for-loss. If you watched the unit play, it was clear the two players were much of the engine behind the group operating successfully.

The program is well-equipped to replace Herbig’s production at outside linebacker with several ascending players set to take on big roles. More questions remain along the defensive line.

If ProFootballFocus’ grades are any indication, one answer may come from a depth piece entering the year. The service had James Thompson Jr. as one of its highest-graded returning Big Ten defensive linemen with a mark of 72.9.

Thompson Jr. recorded 22 tackles, two sacks and 6.5 tackles-for-loss in limited action last season. The defensive end group is projected to be led by Isaiah Mullens and Rodas Johnson, with Thompson Jr. and transfer portal addition Darian Varner also playing significant snaps.

I’ve always been a big fan of what Thompson Jr. could bring to a defense. It shouldn’t surprise anybody if he cracks the starting group as the 2023 season progresses.