Former Wisconsin defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. met with the assembled media on Friday for the first time since transferring to Big Ten rival Illinois earlier this offseason.
He was first asked why the Illini were his transfer choice, even after he received interest from SEC powers, including Tennessee and Oklahoma.
“I’m a big relationship guy,” Thompson Jr. began. “When I first hit the portal, the first coach to contact me was Coach [Bret] Bielema. That made a big impact on me. Talked to me every step of the way. That trickled down to Coach [Terrance Jamison] and Coach [Aaron Henry]. Those guys are really cool people and they really preach that family atmosphere. And I felt that through the phone, and when I visited here too. So that’s the main reason why I chose Illinois.”
Of course, Bielema was Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator from 2004-05 and its head coach from 2006-12. Henry (Illinois’ defensive coordinator) and Jamison (defensive line coach) each played at Wisconsin under Bielema, Jamison from 2005-07 and Henry from 2007-11.
Thompson Jr. was not alone in his decision to join Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini. He followed Wisconsin linebacker Leon Lowery and defensive lineman Curt Neal, each of whom made the same move.
The Wisconsin connection doesn’t stop there. Bielema recently shared that he spoke with former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard about both Thompson Jr. and Neal during the transfer process, players who were recruited by and played under those two longtime Wisconsin coaches. Their input played a significant factor in Illinois’ dedicated pursuit of each player.
“[Bielema’s call] was quick [after I entered the portal],” Thompson Jr. continued. “Because I think [Bielema] hit me up and everything, and told me he got information from my previous…
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