4-Star Lufkin S Jerrin Thompson Commits to Texas

When it comes to defensive back recruiting, the Longhorns have had the luxury of getting to be very selective following their historic haul in 2018 that included Anthony Cook, D’Shawn Jamison, Jalen Green, BJ Foster, Caden Sterns and DeMarvion Overshown. For the 2020 class, the Longhorns have looked both inside and outside the state of Texas for quality corners and safeties, including Lufkin S Jerrin Thompson. Thompson has been on Texas’ radar for a while, but an offer in late July really put the Longhorns in strong position and showed how much Texas was interested. It turned out to be a mutual interest, with Thompson shutting down his recruitment and pledging to the Longhorns.

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Thompson is a highly sought after prospect from east Texas. The Longhorns fended off TCU, Baylor, Arkansas and Oklahoma State for the 16th ranked safety in the country, according to the 247sports composite rankings. Thompson took official visits to TCU, Arkansas and Oklahoma State, but ultimately committed to Texas without using an official visit.

Film Analysis

Player Information

Name: Jerrin Thompson

Position: S

High School: Lufkin

City & State: Lufkin, Texas

Measurables

Height: 6’0

Weight: 180

40-yard time: 4.61

Shuttle: 4.20

Hudl

http://www.hudl.com/video/3/8438527/5ba14a7923474e05608ead1f

Three Best Traits:

Range – His 40 time may not pop off the page, but it appears Thompson plays faster than his testing times may show. He has great instincts for a safety and diagnoses plays extremely well. He has the range to make plays while the ball is in the air and puts himself in good position frequently.

Physicality- One of the biggest things that stand out on film is whenever you see a prospect stand out on special teams. For Thompson, he flashed multiple times without even being involved as a return man. He is not afraid to lay the wood and throw a block to help a teammate.

Defending the run- There is little doubt about Thompson’s ability to willingly play around the line of scrimmage and attack. He takes good angles and rarely takes himself out of plays with poor decisions.

Three Areas for Improvement:

Big hits– One of the biggest things that stand out on Thompson’s film is he loves to hit. He isn’t afraid to get low, pick up his defender and drive him into the ground. While he is no doubt a presence for receivers going across the middle of the field, he will have to make sure he becomes a reliable tackler in space.

Coverage– While he does a nice job finding the ball in the air, Thompson will need to continue to develop as a cover man. While he shows the ability to create turnovers, he will have to continue to improve his technique to the point where pass breakups begin to become INT’s.

Positional fit- Thompson is another guy who could end up at multiple positions down the road. The coaches will have to figure out where his skill set will best be utilized. If he adds a few pounds, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see him fit in at nickel long term, especially with his skill set from a physical standpoint. Nickel is one of the most demanding positions in the Texas defense because of what they are asked to do in both the run and pass game, and someone like Thompson may end up being a good fit.

Summary

Texas may have been offered Thompson later than many of the other schools recruiting him, but it is easy to see why they turned up the heat. Thompson profiles very well for the type of player the Longhorns covet in the secondary. He is very rangy and athletic while also possessing the ability to strike in the run game. In terms of position fit, he will likely end up stick at safety or move to nickel, but regardless, the Longhorns will be getting someone who has a mean streak to his game. While he has some cleaning up to do in pass coverage, he already does a good job of breaking on balls and finding them while they are in the air.

Final Verdict

Thompson will join a loaded secondary on the 40 acres, especially at the safety position. This will likely allow him to get his feet wet for the first year or two before he is asked to be a major contributor on the defensive side of the ball, but he is likely to see the field on special teams almost immediately. The addition of Thompson gives the Longhorns another quality safety prospect who has the capability of making a major impact by the end of his time on the 40 acres.