James Thompson Jr. discusses larger role with Wisconsin defense, identifies key area of improvement
James Thompson Jr. has had a long road to get to where he is now in the Wisconsin defensive line corps.
After a torn Achillies in 2020, Thompson has gradually been able to take a much larger role on the team, appearing in every game in 2021 and ultimately leading to a starting role at defensive end for the Badgers in 2022 following an injury to Isaiah Mullens. After waiting for his turn to break through on the depth chart, Thompson’s chance has finally arrived.
“This year I have been able to step up and be one of the older guys in the group and someone the other guys can lean on,” he said, according to 247Sports.
“With the amount of snaps I have been getting, I have to be able to execute at a much higher level now and do my job well. I have to get the job done.”
While Thompson pointed out that his conditioning has improved, leading him to be “way stronger and faster” compared to past years, there’s one area that he’s still looking to perfect.
“There is always room for improvement with the playbook,” he said. “You have to study the plays, but doing them on the field is much different. That’s a key point I want to continue to improve on, but knowing the plays and what everyone else is doing has come a lot easier, for sure.”
Wisconsin hosts Purdue on Saturday, a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN.