Outside the Huddle and Blitz are counting down who they feel are the top 50 individual players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2022 season.
Our highest preseason honor, the fourth-annual First Eleven profiles the top players (in the mind of Outside the Huddle) entering this fall.
No. 5: DB/WR Nick Thompson, senior, Bishop Luers
A multi-dimensional athlete who is an impact player in a variety of ways, Thompson is a player foes must account for in all three facets of the game.
At cornerback, Thompson is tough to shake with his exceptional foot speed and hip movement. He thrives on reading the receiver and undercutting routes. A season ago, he picked off four passes to go with 44 tackles.
On offense, Bishop Luers looks to get Thompson the ball in space in any way possible. He is particularly effective in the screen game, being able to step back on the snap, catch the ball and burst upfield immediately. His ability to make people miss make him a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
That carries over into Thompson’s return game, where he is a dangerous enough threat that teams sometimes elect to kick short to avoid allowing him to field the kick.
A Toledo verbal commit, Thompson’s length, frame and athleticism make him a formidable foe.
His speed and lateral movement is impressive and his ability to make players miss in small spaces stands out as one of his greatest assets.
COACH’S QUOTE ON NICK THOMPSON
“Nick is a great athlete who has improved leaps and bounds as a football player over the past couple years. He’s shown a drive to become the best he can be and has emerged as a team leader because of it. We’re looking forward to watching Nick perform in all aspects of the game this season.” – Bishop Luers coach Kyle Lindsay
Be the first to comment