Tag: james thompson jr

Third Wisconsin defensive starter transfers to the same Big Ten rival

Another former Badger is off to Illinois

Wisconsin defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. signed with Illinois on Wednesday, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

Thompson is the 12th Wisconsin transfer to find a new destination. He is the third former Badger, all three defensive starters, to sign with the Fighting Illini, joining defensive tackle Curt Neal and outside linebacker Leon Lowery

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Thompson entered the transfer portal earlier this month after five years with the Badgers. He originally joined the program as a three-star recruit in the class of 2020.

The veteran tackle emerged as a primary force on the Badgers’ defensive front in 2022, totaling 23 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. He backed that up with a strong 2023 campaign: 29 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass deflections. Thompson Jr. then missed the majority of the 2024 campaign due to a torn pectoral muscle suffered in training camp. He returned to play seven snaps in the Badgers’ Week 13 loss at Nebraska, but did not see the field during their season finale against Minnesota.

He joins an Illinois program that recently wrapped up a 9-3 regular season. It enters its bowl game against South Carolina with a chance to clinch the program’s first 10-win season since 2001.

Bret Bielema continues to target former Wisconsin players and coaches for his Illinois program: He seems to be attempting to replicate the Badgers’ approach during the mid-2000s. Former Wisconsin stars Aaron Henry (defensive coordinator) and Terrance Jamison (defensive line coach) lead his coaching staff. Wisconsin program Jim Leonhard was an analyst with the program in 2023 before moving to the NFL.

Now, Bielema’s defense will be led by three former Wisconsin starters: Thompson Jr., Neal and Lowery. The Badgers will get a first-hand look at how that strategy works out. They host the Fighting Illini in 2025.

Wisconsin has done well in addressing defensive line this portal cycle with commitments from Parker Petersen (Tulane), Corey Walker (Western Michigan), Charles Perkins (UT-Martin) and Michael Garner (Grambling State). The comparison point between the Badgers’ new-look group and that from the previous two seasons will be evident when they meet the Fighting Illini on Nov. 22.

For more on where former Wisconsin transfers will play in 2025, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

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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.

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