Cincinnati Bearcats LB Jonathan Thompson Highlights Focus on Havoc After Big 2025 Debut Against Nebraska

Cincinnati has a strong linebacker group and Thompson is a big reason.

Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jonathan Thompson (22) celebrates after a sack during the NCAA college football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. This is the Bearcats last game of the season, as well as their Senior Night Saturday. | Carter Skaggs/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

CINCINNATI — Jonathan Thompson posted arguably his best Cincinnati Bearcats performance in the team's season-opening loss to Nebraska. Don't toss any blame his way after posting the best Pro Football Focus grade on the defense (87.9 overall).

The weakside linebacker finished the game with nine tackles, one sack, 1.5 TFLs, and one forced fumble to fill up the stat sheet. The goal is to get the ball in harm's way at least once a game from Thompson, and he did that, despite no one being able to scoop up a fumble or interception.

"I was really focused on my conditioning. Yeah. So I'm able to make any play, no matter what play of the game it is. So just to keep me going throughout the game, so if I do make a play, I can get back up and go right there. But one thing that helped a lot was seeing Antwan Peek last year force a lot of fumbles, and I was just sometimes doing it in practice. I will see what he's doing, and I really like to remember to do it every time. 

"It's hard to remember to do it every time you tackle somebody. So, on Saturday, in that moment, I was just thinking, go for the ball. Go for the ball. Yeah, that's another thing I've been working on ever since we've been practicing in spring ball, just trying to remember to punch at the ball almost every time, and maintain the timing with it. So, yeah, that's the big things I was working on."

Check out the full conversation with Cincinnati's rising defensive star below:

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