Wisconsin DL Thompson Jr

Aug 26, 2024, 01:43 PM ET

MADISON, Wis.– Wisconsin defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. might miss the whole season after going through surgical treatment for what the school referred to as an upper-body injury.The injury leaves the Badgers without their most experienced protective lineman as they get ready for their Friday night opener against Western Michigan. Thompson has begun 18 games over the previous two seasons. “Now he’ll remain in a bit of a different function for us this year,”Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell stated at his Monday press conference. “I do not understand that we’ll have an opportunity to get him back.” Thompson made 11 starts in 2015 and gathered 29 tackles to lead all Wisconsin defensive linemen. He likewise had 5 1/2 tackles for loss and three sacks.That followed a 2022 season in which he began each of Wisconsin’s last seven games.

Thompson had two sacks and 6 1/2 TFLs that year.Fickell didn’t formally rule Thompson out for the season but expressed pessimism about the lineman’s likelihood of returning this year.”It does not appear like James is probably going to make it,” Fickell stated.” I don’t know that we’ll have him for the year. There’s a great deal of things that are still, we have actually got to wait and see. I don’t understand if it’s a four -to five-month thing.”Coming off back-to-back 7-6 seasons, Wisconsin is opening the year outside the AP Top 25 for the very first time because 2016.