Jalen Thompson
Jalen Thompson
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Three seasons at Michigan State, two different head coaches: Mel Tucker and Jonathan Smith. The receipt on tape: 6 tackles against Michigan, Week 9, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Mel Tucker → Jonathan Smith. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Fitzgerald
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Michigan State | 29 | 15 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Michigan State | 17 | 7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Michigan State | 19 | 4 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Career | 65 | 26 | 12.0 | 4.5 | 3 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025
W 41–24
vs Youngstown State
3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 TFL
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Michigan State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Michigan State
Returning around him
- 2 Michigan State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -18 net (28 in / 46 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Michigan State · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #38 · 2026 recruiting class #45
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jamie Sheriff’s 2023 season.
Matches Jamie on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Da'Shawn Womack's junior season at Ole Miss (2025).
Matches Da'Shawn on
Differs from Da'Shawn on