There are a couple of things that stand out about Trenton Thompson’s performance against Nicholls State.
One, it’s always an exceptional feat whenever a lineman reaches double figures in tackles, and the defensive tackle who folks in Albany call “Big Baby” had 11 in Georgia’s victory. Two, he did that while playing pretty much half the snaps.
Georgia rotated defensive linemen liberally during the shockingly close game at Sanford Stadium. Not only was it necessary because of the searing heat and choking humidity, but the Bulldogs are determined to build depth at a position where they don’t have any.
“We had seven, eight defensive linemen play anywhere from 20 to 40 snaps,” coach Kirby Smart said. “We’re trying to keep those guys fresh, play a lot of them.”
But of those, Thompson always plays the most.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound athlete is starting to realize the potential so many people saw for him coming out of Westover High. When Thompson signed with the Bulldogs in February 2015, he was the No. 1-rated overall prospect in America, according to 247Sports.com, and a consensus 5-star across the board.
It’s a distinction Thompson likely will never live down and may not ever be able to live up to.
“Trenton has come a long way, and he still has a long way to go,” Smart said. “Trenton’s best attribute is his quickness and that he plays really hard. It’s important to Trenton that he plays well.”
And Thompson has, mostly. He started six of the 12 games in which he played as a freshman last season. He missed one and was hampered in several others with a severe ankle sprain.
Thompson finished with 25 tackles — fourth among linemen — a half-sack and three quarterback pressures. But his coaches and teammates know he’s capable of much more.
Indications are Georgia will get more out of him this season.
Entering Saturday, when Georgia plays at Missouri, he has the overall team lead in tackles, with 12, and tackles for loss, with 3.5. But there remains the hope that that his performance against Nicholls State was a break out, and such production will become the norm for Thompson.
“Nicholls State was a pretty good team,” Thompson said Saturday, the first time since last season was allowed to speak to the media. “I mean, I don’t overlook nobody. I think they’ve got some good O-linemen. I think we’ve got some good D-linemen. The only thing we’ve got to do is use our technique and keep listening to our coaches.”
Thompson has incredible quickness and athletic ability for a player of his size. The key, both he and Smart agree, is refining his technique.
That explains why Thompson always seems to be a focus of attention for defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, who played the position at an extremely high level.
“Coach Rocker has worked really hard with Trenton on using his technique where he uses his hands more and strikes more, because he’s really athletic,” Smart said. “He’s able to run some plays down that most 300-pounders can’t. Some of his best plays have come when the ball has spit out or broke (outside) on us. Trenton gives great effort and runs it down, which is why he had the stats that he had. … Any time you’ve got that, he’s chasing balls down. He’s a guy that has always played with good effort, but we’ve challenged him to play with much better technique, as we have every player on the defense.”
The Bulldogs would like for Thompson to be more outspoken with his teammates, and particularly with his position mates. Four freshmen are a part of the defensive line rotation, including ends David Marshall and Julian Rochester, and nose guard/tackles Michail Carter and Tyler Clark.
The entire unit feature just one upperclassman, nose guard John Atkins.
“He’s a quiet guy in the locker room,” safety Dominick Sanders said of Thompson. “He’s a guy that’s going to watch film and do what he’s got to do to improve. He’s a guy you’re really not going to hear too much from, but you see his improvement throughout games.”
About the Author
