James Thompson
Career Summary
James Thompson Jr. is a defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cincinnati native played at Wisconsin and Illinois before joining San Francisco as an undrafted rookie in 2026.
Section reviewed
Sources for this section
Early Life
Thompson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He was born August 29, 2002.
Section reviewed
Sources for this section
College Career
Thompson played 54 college games with 38 starts at Wisconsin and Illinois.
He compiled 99 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. At Illinois in 2025, he started all 13 games and had 41 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
Section reviewed
Sources for this section
Path to the NFL
Thompson signed with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
The 49ers announced their agreement with the Illinois defensive lineman on April 26, 2026.
Section reviewed
Sources for this section
NFL Career
Thompson began his NFL career with the 49ers in 2026.
The 6-foot-6, 308-pound rookie defensive lineman wears number 96 and recorded two assisted tackles in his first regular-season game.
Section reviewed
Sources for this section
Career Accomplishments
Thompson earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2025.
The honor followed his final college season at Illinois.
Section reviewed
Sources for this section
Playing Style
Thompson produced tackles for loss and sacks as an interior defensive lineman in college.
His college career included 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
Section reviewed
Sources for this section
32329, 00-0041363, 8/29/2002, James Thompson, James, Thompson
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 0.0
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.