Former Badger James Thompson landed his NFL opportunity Saturday, signing with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent after a winding final two seasons of his college career that took him from Wisconsin’s injury list to an every-week starter at the University of Illinois.
Playing for former Badgers head coach Brett Bielema, Thompson finished his college career at Illinois. He played and started all 13 games for the Fighting Illini in 2025, a durable capstone season that helped reset his trajectory after a frustrating 2024 in Madison.
That 2024 season with the Badgers never fully got off the ground. Thompson missed the first 10 games due to injury, a long absence that kept him from building momentum in what became his final year in a Wisconsin uniform. The move to Illinois gave him a fresh start and, more importantly, consistent snaps, putting him back on the field weekly and back on NFL evaluators’ radar.
Former Illinois DT James Thompson is signing with the 49ers as a UDFA on a deal that includes $280,000 guaranteed, per @TomPelissero pic.twitter.com/FBNwhcszPZ
For Wisconsin, Thompson’s signing counts as another former Badger getting a shot at the next level, even if it came after he finished elsewhere. For Thompson, he gets the opportunity to join a winning program at the NFL level that has been working to re-build their DL.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football transfer James Thompson signs with NFL team