We've got 4 days until kickoff...so today we'll be highlighting #4 on the Boise State roster—Darian Thompson
#4, Darian Thompson, RS Junior, S
Stats
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 208 lbs.
High School: Paraclete High School, Lancaster, CA
How'd he get to The Blue™?
Thompson had a solid football career at Paraclete High School and finished it off with a bang. As a senior with the Spirits, Thompson was named All-CIF and All-Valley Defensive Most Valuable Player, which makes it not entirely surprising that he was also made All-CIF, all-valley and all-league teams. Thompson finished his senior year with 74 tackles, 7 interceptions, 8 PBUs and 2 interception returns for TDs. On offense, Thompson also contributed in a big way, catching 52 passes for 953 yards and 13 touchdowns—both school records for a single season. As a junior, Thompson made 40 tackles, 4 INTs and 4 PBUs, for which he earned a 2nd team all-league nod. Thompson was given a 76 rating by ESPN's recruiting service and a position ranking of 105, nationally. Thompson drew interest from Fresno State and Oregon State, but the Broncos were the only team to pull the trigger. Our gain.
Nickname
"The Man" — Not that he is good, I mean he is, but that's not the reason for the nickname. Take a look below, he's gone and grown up...
Look-a-like
James Franco. All I can see is the goatee.
Career highlights
Thompson has 18 starts over his two year Bronco career, including all 13 last year. In that time, he's notched seven interceptions. Back at Paraclete High, he gained All-CIF Most Valuable Defensive Player honors in 2010, to go along with Alll-CIF and All-Valley first team on defense. He set single-season school records in 2010 for receiving yards and TDs.
2014 prospectus
If 2013 did anything for Darian Thompson, it certainly made him battle tested. For a school that carries the informal moniker "DBU", a lot is expected of the corners and safeties. Yes, a lot of that comes from fans, but a lot of that also comes from the players themselves. Seeing former teammates excel in the NFL only heightens those expectations. Needless to say, last season left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Good thing there's plenty of film to watch.
Beginning his second season as a starting safety, Thompson knows the shortcomings of last year's squad and is out to prove the Boise State is back to being the DBU of old. His biggest asset might be the one thing the rest of the secondary lacks—size. At 6'2", Thompson is quite an outlier on a team that will also start two 5'9" cornerbacks (Deayon and Page) and a 5'10" safety (Ioane). His size becomes even more important against a team with tall receivers, like, for instance, Ole Miss. The three starting wideouts for the Rebels stand 6'1", 6'2", and 6'3".
Thompson has yet to yield any All-MWC honors and for this Bronco team to reach the upper echelon of college football defenses, that needs to change. If that happens this year, Thompson will position himself as a four year starter for Boise State. Not a bad place to be come Draft Day 2016.
Is he on Twitter?
I love these tweets:
My mind wants to get up but my body ain't havin it -thanks Pitt
— Darian Thompson (@JusTrynnaBeDT) July 16, 2014
Completely made up fact
Thompson's favorite video on YouTube: