STARKVILLE — Mississippi State linebacker Erroll Thompson is headed to the professional ranks.
A two-time captain and one of the more prolific tacklers in school history, Thompson announced Tuesday afternoon that he will forgo the extra year of eligibility the NCAA is offering student athletes this season amid the COVID-19 pandemic to enter the NFL draft.
“To my teammates and coaches — especially Zach Arnett, Todd Grantham and Bob Shoop — I was blessed to be surrounded by many great people that helped me reach this point and am grateful for each of you,” he wrote on Twitter. “Finally, to my Mississippi State family, thank you for always showing up, being loud and ringing those cowbells. Keep being the driving force behind this program, because big things are coming.”
Thompson, who spent the bulk of his career as a stalwart in the middle of the MSU defense, concludes his career with 312 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss over 50 games. The Florence, Alabama, native was also named a third team all-SEC performer by Phil Steele on Tuesday and previously earned second team all-SEC recognition from the Associated Press in 2018 and SEC all-Freshman honors in 2017.
“It’s the kind of guy who by his actions and by his words, on and off the field, are going to be the type to represent this team and this university,”former coach Joe Moorhead told The Dispatch in December of what he looked for in a captain. “That was Erroll Thompson from Day 1.”
With Thompson off to the NFL, it remains to be seen who will fill his role at middle linebacker come 2021. Sophomore Nathaniel Watson saw time at every single linebacker spot in 2020 and is a presumed favorite to see heavy playing time next fall. The Bulldogs also signed former East Mississippi Community College inside linebacker DeShawn Page in their 2021 recruiting class.
“He’s played every single linebacker position for us throughout the course of the season,” MSU defensive coordinator Zach Arnett said of Watson in December. “To have a guy like that … just him alone makes you two deep at each position.”
MSU closed its 2020 season with a win over No. 24 Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s unclear when the Bulldogs will return to the field, whether that be in starting the 2021 season or during this coming spring.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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