It didn’t take long for KU to lose a pivotal defensive lineman in Tre’Von McAlpine. In the preseason, it was announced that McAlpine was going to miss the entirety of the year, which quickly raised questions about this Kansas defensive front.
So far, through just three games this season, you could easily make the case that the strongest facet of this Kansas team is the defensive line even without McAlpine.
With the KU defensive front doing well so far, it could be easy to kind of bypass it and move on. But head coach Lance Leipold and his staff took a forward-thinking step and moved for another addition in Clifton Thompson.
What does Thompson add to the Jayhawks?
Thompson spent three seasons at Central Connecticut State University. During his time as a Blue Devil, Thompson totaled seasons of 19, 30 and 27 tackles, with a total of 6 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 sack.
In terms of his physical stature, the redshirt senior stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 350 pounds, according to the KU website.
When speaking with the media earlier this week, defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald explained why Kansas went after him.
“What's exciting is another big body. You need that in this day and age, in this game. For what we do, it's always nice to have a big zero technique. They're hard to find. So just to have him there and have him able to do that, I think will help us a lot.”
Coming out of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Thompson held offers from DII American International College, Georgia State, Central Michigan, Murray State and interest from CCSU. Thompson spent his first season of college ball with AIC before making the move to Central Connecticut State.
“Just to see him out there right now, he has strong hands, he has some quickness, some short-area quickness, which is really good, so we open a couple of weeks here, we get him up and going and hopefully get him in the game, and have another big guy going on with him.”
The idea of adding another player three games into the season is certainly bizarre, but its where the state of college athletics is right now, and with Kansas’ heavy rotation at the defensive tackle spot, it can make sense to add another player.
“…He was coaching high school football last week, he gave a goodbye speech and went from breaking down the huddle to being in our huddle. So, it's a quick turnaround for him, but that's how it is in this landscape. Welcome to college football.”
While the impact of Thompson can’t be properly gauged until the end of the season, he is a wily veteran who will add physical challenges for opposing offenses and at least against the Jayhawks’ offense.
Up next for KU is a game against Middle Tennessee State. With Kansas sitting at a 1-2 record, calling this a must-win is probably an understatement. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.
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