Bryce Thompson was the last addition to Tennessee’s 2018 signing class. And the Vols are likely very glad they were able to snag him so late in the process after Saturday.
The SEC announced on Monday that Thompson was not only one of the SEC Players of the Week, but he was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance on Saturday.
Thompson made his first career start on Saturday during the Vols’ 59-3 win over ETSU, and the true freshman shined in the spotlight. Thompson totaled four tackles, two tackles for a loss, a pass break-up, and an interception. And he nearly returned that interception for a touchdown, picking it off and sprinting 21 yards before leaping out of bounds at the three-yard-line.
Jeremy Pruitt and his staff were able to add the Irmo, South Carolina native to the 2018 class in late May of this year after he was unable to sign with South Carolina, the school he had committed to and planned to sign with on National Signing Day. He never made it in as part of the Gamecocks’ class, and instead he came to Tennessee.
The true freshman is one of three true freshmen who have started for the Vols in the secondary this season. He joined Alontae Taylor and Trevon Flowers as true freshmen defensive backs to start for UT in the first two games of this season.
Thompson was a four-star wide receiver/cornerback out of high school and was rated as the No. 301 overall player in the 2018 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Those ratings also had him as the No. 12 athlete and fifth-best player in the state of South Carolina.
