Wisconsin top defensive lineman likely to miss entire 2024 season

Wisconsin will likely play the entire 2024 season without veteran defensive lineman James Thompson Jr.

Reports first surfaced last week that Thompson would be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. Confirmation came on Monday during Luke Fickell’s game-week press conference for Week 1 vs. Western Michigan.

“I don’t know that we’ll have [James Thompson Jr.] for the year,” Fickell said. He specified that the veteran defensive lineman had surgery last week with a 4-5 month recovery timeline.

Thompson’s injury is a significant blow to a critical position on the Wisconsin defense. The redshirt senior totaled 29 tackles, 5 1/2 tackles for loss, three sacks and two pass deflections in 2023. He was one of the team’s better linemen last season, and was expected to break out even further in 2024.

The Badgers added transfers Elijah Hills (Albany) and Brandon Lane (Stephen F. Austin) at the position this offseason. The group is now led by those two, plus returning contributors Curt Neal, Ben Barten and Cade McDonald. The Badgers were set to go six-deep at the position before losing their No. 1 option in Thompson. The team’s depth and performance both take massive hits with this news.

Wisconsin’s first game-week depth chart lists Neal and Barten as the two starters, with McDonald and Hills as the primary backups. Lane is sure to play a big role, as well as true freshman Dillan Johnson.

Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel may need to get creative in order to offset the loss of Thompson. That, or some within the room emerge as difference-making options. The team will need the group to perform with preseason No. 3 Oregon, No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Penn State, No. 23 USC and No. 25 Iowa all on the schedule.

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