Get to Know Your Orange Man: #7, LB Stefon Thompson

It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.

Up next is….

Name: Stefon Thompson

Position: Linebacker

Year: Redshirt Sophomore

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 250 lbs.

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

High School: Julius L. Chambers

2022 stats: Stefon suffered a season-ending injury in the opening game of the season. His absence was noticeable throughout the year as the Orange struggled to defend against the run and consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks.

2023 projections: Thompson is a crucial part of the 3-3-5 scheme. He was the second-leading tackler on the team in 2021, and if he is able to return to that form, the entire unit will get a massive boost in production. Until we see him in game action, however, that’s far from a guarantee.

How’d he get here?: SU and Wisconsin were his two P5 offers, so winning that battle was huge. Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Liberty, Marshall, and elsewhere were also interested.

What’d recruiting sites say?: Three stars across the board.

Money quote: Thompson was seen in pads the final week of spring camp but did not participate in drills. It was still an encouraging sign of his recovery, one Coach Babers echoed.

“He’ll be back in the fall... Some of those guys might have been able to go, maybe, but there’s no sense in risking them this last week (of camp), so we’ll push it over into the summertime and get them ready in August.”

Twitter: @StefonThompson7

Instagram: @stefonthompson

Post of wonder: More of this, please

Interesting nugget o’interest: Thompson attended Vance high school in Charlotte, which was originally named after a Confederate officer. Shortly after he graduated, the school began a formal process to rename the school to something more appropriate. Prior to the 2021-22 school year, it became the Julius L. Chambers High School, in honor of the famous lawyer, civil rights leader, and educator from North Carolina.

Let’s get a look at ya: With special guest Abdul Adams