2022 ATH Isaac Thompson Has Serious Interest In Notre Dame

It’s still early enough that Isaac Thompson‍ hasn’t had much direct contact with Notre Dame yet, but the Irish have been in touch with some of those closest to the 2022 Missouri athlete.

“They’ve been talking to my head coach for a while and talking to my dad,” the 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore said.

“It’s amazing. That’s been my dream school forever. That’s crazy.”

The St. Louis native already has offers from Arizona and Missouri, but hopes there is more to come.

“It definitely feels good,” said Thompson. “It’s more of a starting point than anything to build up to the schools like Notre Dame and stuff to get my name out there.”

Thompson likes Notre Dame as much for what it represents off the field as on it.

“Just the academics really, the academics and the culture,” he said. “It’s great.”

The St. Louis University High School standout said he would “definitely like to visit” Notre Dame as part of the next steps of the process.

“Just getting a relationship with the coaches and learning the system, what kind of system they run as a team and the overall atmosphere of the team,” he said of what he hopes to accomplish.

Thompson plays running back, receiver, safety and corner in high school, but expects to play defense in college.

“On the next level, I think I’ll be a DB, either safety or corner,” he said.

He’s already been to Iowa, Missouri and Illinois for visits and expects to return to Iowa for a game this fall in addition to planning a trip to South Bend for next month’s game against USC.

Thompson, who is thinking about majoring in Business, will be looking closely at academics when picking a school.

“My whole family is just really set on academics and I think a school like Notre Dame with prestigious academics would be really good for me,” he said.

Thompson’s father, Hickey Thompson, played at Michigan State from 1991-94 and has offered advice on the recruiting process.

“Just not to even worry about the offers because that will all just come,” Thompson said of his dad’s message. “Just worry about your play and stay working hard and keep your head down.”

Thompson’s high school head coach, Mike Jones, played linebacker at Missouri before more than a decade in the NFL, including one of the greatest moments in NFL history when he tackled Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the one-yard-line as time expired to give the Rams the win in Super Bowl XXXIV.

“It’s great,” Thompson said of having Jones for a coach. “He knows exactly what it takes for me to get to the next level and even the level above college, so it’s great to have him on my side along with my dad.”

It’s worth noting Notre Dame defensive backs coach Todd Lyght played on that same Rams championship team.