PISCATAWAY, N.J. — A name to watch this spring for Rutgers football is defensive lineman Jordan Thompson.
His career at Rutgers has seen steady growth, a solid example of the ‘developmental program’ mantra so often preached by head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag]. A former Morris County football standout, Thompson is poised to take another developmental step ahead of what is a very important fall in his career.
After a redshirt season in 2021, Thompson worked his way into seeing consistent reps the next season. By 2023, he was beginning to make an impact.
Last year saw Thompson with 24 total tackles, with multiple tackles record in eight of his 11 regular season games played.
Asked on Tuesday about Thompson’s growth, defensive ends coach Julian Campenni pointed towards the player’s pathway
“I think the answer is in the question: just be consistent,” Campenni said.
“Again, it’s, there’s no secret sauce. It’s just doing the little things consistently every single time and again, I think the results will take care of itself. And I think he’s been doing that.”
Coming out of Parsippany Hills High School (Parsippany, New Jersey), Thompson was a raw recruit brimming with potential. He was a three-star recruit who was a top-10 player in New Jersey’s class of 2021.
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Campenni is in his first year with Rutgers, having joined the Big Ten program this offseason. Previously, Campenni worked at Bowling Green for five seasons.