Is Texas 2026 DE Cullen Scott Thompson the next Jevon Kearse?
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
A sample of work verses a lifetime, but one of the best to suit up at defensive end may have a clone in the 2026 recruiting class in Cullen Scott Thompson. Thompson is at the early beginning of his gridiron career but the similarities to the former First Team All-American are there.
The tale of the tape – Kearse was 6-5, 265 pounds, when all was said and done in the NFL, but entered college at 6-4, 215. The budding star for Texas’ Grand Oaks High School (Spring) is 6-4, 206. The Florida all-time great posted a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, Thompson has laid down a 4.48. Kearse had a 37-inch vertical and a 10.2 broad jump – Thompson has 39-inch vertical and a 10.7 broad jump. Kearse was late to play defensive end, and so was Thompson. They are both gifted athletic freaks.
The path to the gridiron for Thompson was helped by older siblings on the volleyball court.
“I had played every sport, then I started sticking with football and track,” Thompson said. “My sisters were getting D-I offers for volleyball; I tried track going into my 9th grade year. I was with Track Houston, a summer track club. That summer I went to the Junior Olympics and podiumed there in the 4×1.”
Developing his speed on the track is ongoing.
“This year I will try to run the 400, but I am trying to gain weight,” Thompson stated. “The 400 makes you drop weight. I will try to run the 4×1, 4×2, and the open 1 and 2, maybe the 4×4.”
Executing in a 3-4 front, Thompson explained his role in the Grizzlies scheme.
“I play the drop side at end – the weakside, shooting the B gap, attacking the hip of the guard to disrupt the play,” Thompson said. “I also cover the running back in the flat and drop into pass coverage.”
Understanding what one can do on the field, or gaining confidence, was a big part of Thompson’s junior season.
“My football tracking and my get-off improved this season,” Thompson shared. “I know I am fast; that clip in my highlight of chasing the ball down, I never thought I would do that. I work on my speed a lot, but to have that and see it evolve… I have track speed, but seeing my speed working on the field is like woah. I became more confident with my moves, and I got more fluid.”
The offseason is about taking those next steps.
“I have a 270-pound power clean; I want to beat the school record which is 315,” Thompson stated. “That (270) was during my sophomore year; that is one of my big goals for the offseason. I want to gain weight. I am working out four times a week with a weightlifting coach, once a week with an outside linebacker coach, once a week with a defensive end coach, and once a week with a footwork trainer. My schedule is football all-year round.”
Cullen Scott Thompson at UTSA.
A summer college camp circuit opened recruiting eyes.
“My first football camp was a TCU mega camp; that was so crazy,” Thompson shared. “I go to the camp and win MVP. A three-star Kansas State commit and I were pulled aside to work with their defensive coordinator for movement drills. That was really freaking cool.
“I went to SMU and did well, and I did well at Texas. The school that has stuck with me is Baylor. I went to the camp, and they asked me to come back. I did really well again, and I just went to one of their games recently. They are really interested in me; they want to see me be a Bear.”
Programs scouting Thompson include Baylor, Wisconsin, UTSA, TCU, and Texas A&M.
Game-day visits were taken to UTSA, Baylor, and Wisconsin.
“I went to UTSA for the Temple game, their Senior Day game, and they won,” Thompson said. ” I really-really liked the (Alamodome) dome; it is air conditioned. After the game I spoke with their head coach (Jeff Traylor). He shared my film with his defensive line and outside linebacker coaches.
“The overall feeling there is that it is an alumni campus. The overall feeling of having a home was there. You’d feel like you are playing with people that have been there for a while; like another Friday night football game.”
The game in Waco left an impression.
“That was great,” Thompson stated. “Baylor was fun. When we got there, it was great. The hospitality there was so good; they are the nicest people. That is a really big thing for me, great hospitality. We ate, and all their coaches – the defensive coordinator, the outside linebacker coach – all their coaches came up to me having a conversation; that made me feel special and let me know they are recruiting me.
“They made me feel at home. That they came up to me said volumes. Later they took us to our seats, we were in the front row behind the team. It was a great game. Their running back had four touchdowns; that was crazy. That was a favorite visit.”
An official for his sister to Madison turned into a one-on-one with head coach Luke Fickell.
“I was on my sister’s official visit to Wisconsin; I was with the volleyball program the majority of the time,” Thompson shared. “Coach (Kelly) Sheffield (volleyball HC) forwarded my film to coach Fickell. Pat Lambert (dir. of recruiting) started following me.
“I was invited to come down on the field. Coach Fickell came down hallway, and their volleyball coach introduced me. We interacted, that was cool. We just got a message from coach Lambert; he invited me to their camp in June. Wisconsin has an incredible program. That was an experience.”
Seeing is believing – click the link to check out Cullen Scott Thompson’s Hudl highlight film.