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News: Louisville’s Jadon Thompson Makes Jaw-Dropping Strides in Spring Ball
After a run of injuries throughout the previous offseason, the Cardinals’ wide receiver is now in his second year in the program and things are beginning to click for him.
LOUISVILLE, KY: There’s a lot to like in the current wide receiver room composition of the Louisville football team. Former five-star prospect Ja’Corey Brooks was instrumental in Alabama’s run for the 2021 championship in the latter part of the season. Caullin Lacy was a top-five wideout in the nation and a 1,000-yard receiver for South Alabama.
Antonio Meeks’s tenure at Tuskegee was fruitful for two years. Chris Bell was a player at Louisville who had glimpses of promise. Cataurus Hicks and Joseph Stone are young athletes with promise.
But Jadon Thompson is another wide receiver you might want to keep an eye on in 2024. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver has been a consistent member of the starting receiving rotation and has made several plays throughout the first four open practices of spring ball.
Although Brooks and Lacy appear to be the team’s expected top wide receivers, Thompson is determined to establish himself as a member of the offensive unit.
It feels different this spring, Thompson remarked. My comfort level has increased significantly, both in terms of the offense and my style of play. I feel like I can play with more freedom now, going out there and enjoying myself without having to worry about making mistakes or what to do with this play.
I can play more freely and quickly because I know what I have and can tell everyone else where to line up and what they have.” The early enrollee transfer from Cincinnati to Louisville was made by the native of Napierville, Illinois.
He played for the Bearcats throughout his first three years of college. In his final season in Queen City, he caught 26 receptions for 383 yards and a score.
But Thompson was severely bitten by the injury bug in his first season as a Cardinal. He had to have labrum surgery during his first week on school, which kept him out of spring practice altogether. Then he pulled his hamstring two days into fall camp. He pulled it again a week and a half later after sitting.
After suffering a series of hamstring strains throughout fall camp, Thompson was unable to play in the first three games of the 2023 season, and even when he did, he was never able to establish himself.
He was only able to grab 12 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown before the end of the season. The bright side of this is that, even though Thompson was sidelined for a significant portion of the season, it gave him more time to learn the very intricate Jeff Brohm playbook.
He feels as though things are “just now clicking” for him, and he is aware of both his own and other people’s roles. “For me, it’s really just now clicking,” he stated. “Its positive aspect is that. I was sent back a little bit last year because I was hurt. I was able to observe and pick up knowledge, which is how I prefer to study. As things stand right now, it seems like this is only now beginning to click.
I am now familiar with every position. I might occasionally need to be aware of the protection call. It kind of ignited a fire under me, especially this spring, saying, “Yeah, you got this.”
The fact that Thompson is totally recovered from his hamstring and shoulder issues is possibly the most significant development. “The good thing about it, our training room, that staff is amazing,” he stated. “They brought me back.” I’m completely injury-free right now and ready to play.”
