The bowl game hero.
Today’s player wasn’t well known at the start of last season, but he certainly is now.
Broc Thompson – Sr.
Indianapolis, IN (North Central HS)
6’3”, 190 pounds
Wide Receiver
2022 Projection: Starter
During training camp last year there were a bunch of names tossed around at receiver because of Jeff Brohm’s recruiting successes there. David Bell and Milton Wright were 1-2, but a newcomer that started to crop up was Broc Thompson.
Thompson is from Indianapolis, but took a circuitous route to Purdue. His dad is a 10-year MLB vet and his brother Trevor played basketball at Virginia Tech and Ohio State (and was once rumored to be interested in Purdue as a grad transfer destination. Broc played a year at Fork Union Military Academy before starting his college career at Marshall in 2019. In two years there he had 33 receptions for 562 yards.
Last year he debuted as a solid reserve receiver. He was averaging 1-2 receptions per game, but he was known for his downfield blocking that freed up many other guys. He got his first career touchdown against Michigan State and a second against Ohio State.
Then there was the Music City Bowl.
With Bell and Wright out, Thompson was cast in the role of top receiver and didn’t disappoint. Playing on two bad knees that would need postseason surgery he caught 7 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores were long TDs that were huge plays, including the Boilers’ final TD in the wild last five minutes. His 217 yards marked the fourth time last season Purdue had a player go over 200 receiving yards in one game, joining Bell Against Iowa and Michigan State and Wright against Northwestern.
Thompson finished the year with 30 receptions for 457 yards and 4 TDs. He will be a starter this season and one of AOC’s top targets in the offense.