Position: Safety
Year in school: Junior
Size: 5-10, 211 pounds
Born: Feb. 10, 1993, in Inglewood, Calif.
Calipatria High School: Played JV as a sophomore but had a breakout season as a junior, rushing for 1,446 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a senior in 2010, he rushed for 1,808 yards and 27 touchdowns, as the Hornets went 4-7.
Recruiting: He received some interest from Colorado and was close to signing with Portland State before the Gophers made a late pitch. Rivals.com listed him as a two-star recruit.
Gophers career: He converted to safety after getting to Minnesota and played in seven games as a freshman, making 16 tackles. Last year, he played in all 13 games, starting eight. He made two interceptions and had 43 tackles, including seven in the bowl game loss to Texas Tech.
2013 outlook: The Gophers need to replace departing seniors Troy Stoudermire and Michael Carter at cornerback. Derrick Wells moved from safety to cornerback to fill one hole, and sophomore Eric Murray appears set to start at the other corner. The Gophers felt comfortable moving Wells because they still have Brock Vereen and Thompson, among others, to play safety.
Notable: Thompson's Twitter handle is @Cedmalu, as one of his favorite NFL players is Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. It's unfair comparing any college defensive back to a perennial Pro Bowl selection, but for what it's worth, Thompson is similar in size to the 5-10, 213-pound Polamalu.
