Michael Thompson crosses 20-offer threshold

Rivals100 lineman Michael Thompson out of Parkway North High School in St. Louis picked up two more Power Five offers on Wednesday that brought him to a total of 21 scholarships tendered thus far in the recruiting process.

THE LATEST

Thompson was sitting just shy of 20 offers for about six weeks, then Texas A&M and Penn State put him over the hump with offers on the same day. The four-star prospect is part of a deep St. Louis-area crop of 2018 talent that also features fellow Rivals100 prospects Trevor Trout and Kamryn Babb. Thompson is a two-way lineman who could play either defensive tackle or on the offensive line in college. Both offers that came through on Wednesday are primarily for defensive line, but both Penn State and Texas A&M told Thompson the possibility of playing on offense is still on the table. The Nittany Lions have been talking with him since the season, but the offer from the Aggies came out of the blue according to Thompson.

IN HIS WORDS

“Penn State let me know over the phone. The d-line coach and me were just talking and he let me know I had the offer. I know they won 9 or 10 games straight this season and they beat Ohio State. That’s the main thing that comes to my head.

“A&M came into my school (Wednesday). That was the d-line coach too. I don’t know a lot about them, but I know they have a good history.”

RIVALS’ REACTION

Thompson has accumulated more offers thus far than his fellow St. Louis-based Rivals100 defensive tackle Trevor Trout has, and no doubt his versatility has helped that scholarship number. Midwest powers like Iowa, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State have all offered and hosted Thompson on their campuses in recent months. He said a couple favorites have emerged in his mind, but he is keeping the identity of those schools to himself for now. One junior day is being planned and that is to Alabama on Jan. 28.