The bad news keeps on coming as Wisconsin lost another player to the transfer portal. This time its defensive lineman James Thompson Jr, who leaves with one more year of eligibility, according to Matt Zenitz.
Wisconsin defensive lineman James Thompson has entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @cbssports/@247Sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 4, 2024
The 6-5, 295-pound Thompson missed this season due to injury but posted combined totals of 51 tackles and five sacks the previous two years.… pic.twitter.com/2ZrKt9Skq0
Thompson Jr. missed nearly the entire season due to a pectoral injury, but had been once of the better defensive lineman for the Badgers in years prior. He returned to play a few snaps against Nebraska this season, but didn't register any tackles or sacks. Thompson has 58 tackles and five sacks in his career, and will now finish his final season elsewhere.
The redshirt senior is now the second defensive lineman to enter the portal this week along with Curt Neal, and the eleventh Badger total. It's a troublesome trend, and now Luke Fickell and company will have to replace two defensive line starters before the 2025 season. The group was already thin, and with Thompson Jr. leaving, it's even more of a glaring need.
Wisconsin signed its 2025 class today, and will have some strong talent joining the roster, but there will be a lot of work to do in the portal for Fickell in order to replace the players leaving.