Former Northern Illinois receiver Cam Thompson breaks down Mississippi State decision
Before beginning his Mississippi State official visit on Sunday, former Northern Illinois transfer receiver Cam Thompson had a good idea about his future. Before leaving that visit on Monday, Thompson committed to the Bulldogs and became State’s 20th transfer addition this offseason.
Having two years left to play, Thompson becomes the third transfer receiver for Mississippi State this offseason. He joins former Oklahoma receiver Brenen Thompson and former Michigan State receiver Jaron Glover.
“It was just the coaches,” Thompson remarked. “They really made it feel like home and everyone is a tight-knit family there. I also like the facilities. Coming from the G5 and the MAC and before that I was at an FCS school, just seeing the different facilities and how many resources they have was great. It will really help me develop my game and get to the next level.”
This past season at Northern Illinois, Thompson had 28 catches for 391 yards. He was also a weapon on kick returns and had 10 kickoff returns for 283 yards and one touchdown. For the Bulldogs, he expects to have various roles at receiver under receivers coach Chad Bumphis while maintaining his special teams’ duties.
“Coach Bump was good to be around,” added the 6-foot and 198-pound Thompson. “He said there’s a big gap in the receiver room and he needs me to come in and really help. They also need me on special teams. They can use me anywhere from slot to the outside.”
During his time in Starkville, Thompson got a better feel for head coach Jeff Lebby and his staff. And their togetherness as a staff caught his attention the most.
“Coach Lebby is great,” noted Thompson, a Ohio native. “He holds a tight fit there and you can tell they are a big family there. A lot of his coaches came from Oklahoma so you can it’s real family there.”
Top 10
- 1
Historic upset of No. 1 Vols
Florida makes history
- 2New
Cotton Bowl weather threat
Emergency management consulted
- 3
Joel Klatt
Kicking dirt on the SEC
- 4Hot
Herbstreit almost left CGD
Saban, McAfee helped stop the move
- 5
Booger McFarland
Taking issue with Steve Sarkisian
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Thompson noted that West Virginia, Iowa, Tulane and California were among the other schools pursuing him in the transfer portal. While he is moving to a new school, he will remain teammates with a couple of guys from Northern Illinois. Last month his former teammates Raishein Thomas and Nevaeh Sanders signed with Mississippi State.
“That’s a good thing,” mentioned Thompson. “I will be doing a lot of different stuff because I’ve never been in Mississippi and down South. So it will be good to have some familiar faces around to help me feel more comfortable being down there.”
In a few more days, Thompson will be back in Starkville for good. Naturally, he is eager to get going with his new teammates in Starkville.
“I get to Starkville on January 12th,” Thompson explained. “So it won’t be long and I’m ready. I’m ready to get started with my new teammates and I’m ready to get to know everyone better.”
