Illinois Football Lands Highest-Rated Transfer Yet From Wisconsin Defense

Three-star defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. brings smarts, experience and upfield pressure to the Illini

Sep 22, 2023; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Wisconsin Badgers defensive end James Thompson Jr. (90) celebrates after sacking Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card (1) during the first half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Whatever is drawing defectors from Wisconsin's defense south to Champaign also got to James Thompson Jr. – and it may be the biggest transfer-portal coup for Illinois yet.

Thompson – a chiseled, 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive lineman from Cincinnati – on Friday was announced to have signed with Illinois to play out his final year of eligibility in 2025.

I-L-L!!!!!🔶🔷🔶🔷 pic.twitter.com/rLuNybXFZN

— James Thompson (@james_jr56) December 27, 2024

Thompson, a three-star transfer according to On3, played in just one game for the Badgers last season because of a torn pectoral muscle that required season-ending surgery. But in 2023, he led all Wisconsin linemen with 29 tackles, including three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.

With a total of 38 games with a Big Ten program under his belt and three consecutive years earning All-Academic Big Ten honors, Thompson appears to be the right player at the right time for defensive coordinator Aaron Henry and his unit.

"You can have the best players on the back end as possible, right?" Henry said when asked in Saturday's press conference ahead of the Citrus Bowl about the Illini's latest additions to the defensive front. "Like, we pride ourselves on playing well in the secondary, but we all know – SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, NFL, wherever you're at – it starts up front. And so we've made it a point, especially this offseason and moving forward, to just find experience and try to find the best players that fit us.

"I know there's a lot of people in the portal looking for stars. They're looking for this, looking for that. That ain't how we operate. We're looking for, one, experience – if you have experience – and two, are you a fit, right?"

Although Thompson is Illinois' highest-rated addition of the offseason thus far, he wasn't broadly considered a game-changing transfer. Still, the Illini beat out some heavy hitters to sign him.

Thompson followed former UW teammates Curt Neal (another defensive lineman) and Leon Lowery Jr. to Champaign after turning down multiple high-profile opportunities in the portal, including offers from College Football Playoff participants Boise State, Tennessee and SMU.

"So we've been able to add a couple of significant pieces that we believe in," Henry said. "I know, oftentimes, people watch film and say, 'Well, that kid wasn't a good player.' But he played 600 snaps. Well, they obviously thought he was a pretty good player if he played a bunch of snaps for them, right? He probably was. He probably could be utilized different in [another] system and scheme."

May I introduce you to Wisconsin IDL James Thompson Jr. (#90) pic.twitter.com/lw0IspoUqH

— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) May 9, 2024

Illinois on SI recruiting take: The Illini defense showed an ability to make plays, especially in the first half of the season, but the second half revealed a need for more upfield pressure from its front line. Thompson has the athleticism to squeeze the pocket on opposing passers and the length to block the sight lines and passing lanes of opposing quarterbacks. If he's healthy, he could be one of Illinois' most important additions for 2025.

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