In the midst of a banner season on the football field, McGill-Toolen quarterback Bubba Thompson has de-committed from the Auburn baseball program.
“I talked to the coaches this week and told them I was re-opening my recruitment,” the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Thompson told AL.com Wednesday morning.
The senior is now seeking to play both football and baseball in college. He took an unofficial visit to Tennessee last weekend. The Vols and Ole Miss are the first two Southeastern Conference programs to say they will give him a chance to play both sports.
“I loved everything about it,” Thompson said of his visit to Knoxville. “I liked the environment and the coaches, especially the coaches. It felt like family there.”
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Thompson also has football offers from Troy, Central Florida and Western Kentucky. North Carolina and Indiana also have shown considerable interest, and Thompson threw at both Auburn and Alabama over the summer. He said he hasn’t definitely closed the door on attending Auburn, though he doesn’t yet have a football offer from the Tigers.
“I want to play both sports in college or at least give it a shot,” Thompson said. “I don’t want to look back years down the road and regret not playing one. I’ve been blessed with some opportunities, and I just want to explore all of them.”
McGill-Toolen QB Bubba Thompson looks for running room in last week’s Central-Phenix City semifinal game. (Scott Donaldson | preps@al.com) Thompson, who will lead his team against Hoover in the Class 7A title game next Wednesday in Auburn and also will represent his state in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game next month, said he plans to take more visits following the season and then make a decision on his future.
“There are not many people who can probably play two sports in college, but I think Bubba is one of those guys who can,” McGill coach Caleb Ross said. “He is blessed with that type of talent.”
Thompson’s football experience was limited as a sophomore and a junior because of injuries. However, Ross knew his quarterback had plenty of talent and saw some re-assurances as early as last summer.
“We didn’t have Bubba for the first few weeks of summer workouts because he was playing baseball,” Ross said. “In fact, he only practiced for two days before we went to Hoover for a 7-on-7 competition. He came in, and I don’t think he missed more than four passes the whole tournament. I knew then we were in good shape.”
Thompson has been just as good this fall. In leading the Yellow Jackets to a 13-0 record, he has completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards and 37 touchdowns. He’s been intercepted just five times. He also has rushed for 494 yards and five TDs, including the go-ahead score in last week’s semifinal win over Central-Phenix City.
“We always knew he had that type of talent,” Ross said. “But it is hard to project anyone to have the type of season Bubba has had. I knew he was extremely accurate. It’s easy to see how fast he is and how strong his arm is. He can make all the throws. I think the only questions were can he stay healthy and can he keep is composure. The obvious answer has been yes to both of those.”
McGill-Toolen defensive coordinator Earnest Hill is happy he only has to face Thompson on the practice field.
“I wouldn’t want to play against him,” Hill said. “We have fun in practice and have spirited competition, but I don’t want to play four quarters against that guy. His arm, his knowledge of the game, those two legs of his …. Wow.”
Thompson committed to play baseball at Auburn last spring. The outfielder, a first-team All-State and All-Coastal Alabama selection, hit .469 with 39 runs scored, 19 stolen bases and 11 doubles for coach Tim Becker’s Yellow Jackets as a junior.
Becker, who played minor league baseball with Deion Sanders, said Thompson’s speed reminds him of Sanders. It is possible that the Major League Baseball Draft also could factor into Thompson’s future plans.
