James Thompson Jr. holds the RDT · Depth spot in San Francisco 49ers’s defensive tackle room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

James Thompson Jr. is a 6'6", 301-pound right defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers. Thompson played college football at Wisconsin (2020-24) and Illinois (2025), appearing in 54 games with 38 starts across his six seasons. He compiled 99 tackles, 18.0 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble during his college career. In 2025 at Illinois, he started all 13 games, recording 41 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and 1 pass defense while earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition.

CollegeIllinois; WisconsinHometownCincinnati, OH