2021 Mesquite QB Ty Thompson had himself a dream season. He helped guide the 4A Mesquite Wildcats to a state title, upsetting heavily favored Desert Edge in the process, and then found himself as part of a whirlwind recruitment process that took place as the annual NCAA assistant coaching carousel was taking place. Thompson ultimately decided on year-in-year-out Pac-12 title contender Oregon, where former Hamilton QB Tyler Shough is currently in line to get a shot at the starting job.
So what exactly is Oregon getting in Ty Thompson? I asked the Arizona Varsity staff to weigh in and break down his game, and I give a few of my own thoughts as well. Check it out:
Chris Eaton (@gridironarizona)
I made the trip to Surprise for the 4A title game last December. Some may have thought I drew the short straw there, but I'm glad I headed out to Willow Canyon! Mesquite, who none of us thought would win, took a 16-0 lead, lost momentum, and had to rally back for a 28-23 win. The Wildcats had the ball at their own 30, trailing by 1 with less than 3 minutes remaining. It was a drive led by a calm and composed Ty Thompson that resulted in a 33-yard pass to Michael Sterling for the game (and title) winner.
At 6-4 and 200+ pounds, Thompson moves well for his size. He also has a strong upper body. The offense at Mesquite gave him the ability to air it out (424 attempts), and when he had a hot receiver, Thompson continued to ride him until it could be stopped. On the night of the title game, that receiver was Jacob Walker (11 catches for 214 yards).
The player he most reminds me of is Paradise Valley alum and current Cincinnati Bengal Ryan Finley. I think he also compares well to Tyler Shough, the likely Oregon starter this year. Shough will be a sophomore in 2020 and could potentially have 2 seasons as the starter in 2021 and 2022, with Thompson watching from the sidelines. If Thompson is able to succeed Shough, I don't think they'd miss a beat.
In 2020, what I'd like to see out of Thompson is more accuracy (was 50 percent in title game with 2 INTs). I know his season numbers were better (59 percent completions, but he did have 14 INTs). I'd like to see if he can use that big body to take advantage of defenses and run a little more as well. He did that in games against Arcadia and Marcos de Niza, posting two 100+ yard rushing games, but against Desert Edge, he had seven yards on six carries.
Alec Simpson (@AlecSimpson5)
I’ve had the pleasure of watching Ty Thompson on numerous occasions in a game setting, as well as the camp circuit. What makes Ty Thompson unique is how poised of a quarterback he is. This is a guy that is very patient in the pocket and throws an absolutely beautiful deep ball. His arm strength is certainly something to be intrigued about, and Thompson is also able to escape the pocket to make plays with his feet. There’s a lot to like with Thompson, and he's a four-star recruit for good reason. He's clearly one of the top quarterback prospects out West.
He has a solid frame, and is every bit of 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. Thompson is a competitor who loves the game of football and is willing to do whatever it takes to get a win for his team. He led Mesquite to a 4A title with about 30 guys on roster, and that’s impressive.
Thompson fits well into the scheme in Eugene. In the Oregon offense, you need a cool, calm, and collected quarterback. That’s Ty Thompson. This offense also needs a QB that has a cannon for an arm and can extend the pocket, that’s also Ty Thompson. I think Chris Eaton hit this point perfectly, both Thompson and Tyler Shough resemble each other. Both are pro-style guys, lanky, can make plays outside of the pocket, and are fierce competitors. This overall fit at Oregon is great for Thompson, and Coach Mario Cristobal landed a stud who has an incredibly high ceiling.
What I’d like to see out of Ty Thompson this season is to see him emerge and not only be one of the top quarterbacks in the West Region, but be one of the most elite quarterback recruits in the country. Thompson has all the tools to be that guy. The arm strength, the accuracy, the mobility, and the poise. I saw Ty Thompson carrying at least 10 extra pounds (in a good way) at the Under Armor camp in February, and it will be exciting to see how that physical maturity translates this fall in game situations.
Cody Cameron (@CodyTCameron)
I think everything that can be said about Ty Thompson has been said, so I'm going to break down a little of his junior film and explain why so many college coaches were in pursuit.
From the first couple of plays from Ty Thompson’s film, the thing that jumps out right away is the accuracy with his deep ball. Thompson hits his wide receivers 40-50 yards downfield with perfect touch, dropping all of his deep passes in the bread-basket of his wide receivers. On the play at the 4:53 mark, Thompson shows off his elusiveness in the pocket, keeping the play alive and throwing a dart to his wide-out. This is a really important trait to have at the Power 5 level, especially with the offensive scheme that Oregon runs. This is truly a quarterback who has both size, and can make all the throws.
Ralph Amsden (@ralphamsden)
I've seen Ty Thompson in action a few times over the last couple of years, including taking in three of his games last year alone, and I think there's a lot that makes him stand out as a player. The thing that truly sticks out, however, is his resolve. One of the more important attributes of a QB is the ability to keep focused on the goal at hand when the play breaks down, or mistakes are made. Thompson isn't perfect, and he'll turn the ball over every once and a while, but I never see him beating himself up for a decision he wished he could get back, or ripping a teammate for stopping short on a route, or not recognizing their blocking assignment. That resolve was never more clear to me than in the 4A state semifinal game against Cactus. Thompson was sacked three times in that game, and put under pressure a dozen more times. Every time he ended up on his back, he calmly got to his feet and took the call for the next play from the sideline, ultimately tossing what would be the go-ahead and winning TD.
As far as who he reminds me of as a high school QB, I'd say his skillset and physical build remind me a lot of another 4-star QB who stood about 6-4, 205 as a senior, and went on to have a solid college career before becoming a 2nd round pick in the NFL Draft- Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer.
I feel like Thompson is a good fit in Eugene, although I'm not sure what the offense will look like by the time he's in a position to take over. Joe Moorhead was a big-name hire by the Ducks, and has a ton of head coaching experience. It would stand to reason that a successful campaign as the Ducks' OC would probably put him in a position to earn another head coaching job. The thing about Thompson is, he's not necessarily a high maintenance kid, and I believe he'll go all out to work within whatever system is in place once the time comes.
What I'd like to see out of Ty Thompson this year is more of the same. There's no need to press, and no need to prove to anyone that he's got another gear to his game, or display things he has yet to unleash. Work within Scott Hare's system, stay focused on finishing out his high school career, and enjoy the fact that he's earned the opportunity to go out to Eugene and earn more opportunities. He's an impressive kid, and you can listen to a recent interview I did with him on the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast HERE.
