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Four-Star 2023 Defensive Lineman Jalen Thompson Places Cincinnati in Top-Five Schools

Experts predict Thompson will play for Michigan State.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Jul 9, 2022 4:31 PM EDT

CINCINNATI — One of UC football's biggest targets in the 2023 class, just placed the Bearcats in his top-five schools. Four-star Cass Technical (Michigan) defensive end Jalen Thompson is interested in playing for Luke Fickell, along with Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State, and Pitt.

According to On3, Thompson is the 235th-ranked player nationally and the 31st-ranked defensive lineman. The site has Michigan State (90.2%) as a heavy favorite to land Thompson, with Cincinnati (2.2%) in third place.

He would narrowly edge out Daeh McCullough as the Bearcats' highest-rated defensive recruit of the 247Sports era if he signed with UC.

Thompson is a unique talent along the interior that can play most spots on the defensive line. He possesses a rare speed/power blend that is obvious on tape with how quickly he pairs a completed rush move to the instant pursuit of a ball carrier. He primarily uses a hand slap and quick interior gap pressure timed on the movement of the opposing line.

Thompson's blend of athleticism has a lot of potential in a 3-3-5 scheme. We'll see if the odds take a hit and he commits to the Bearcats this summer.

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