USC Developing Devan Thompkins on the Defensive Line

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney03/28/23

ErikTMcKinney

Devan Thompkins
USC defensive lineman Devan Thompkins goes through a position drill during a Trojans' spring ball practice (Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)

When Lincoln Riley took over as the head coach at USC, the prevailing thought was that the Trojans would begin landing blue-chip recruit after blue-chip recruit. Sure enough, USC has signed several Five-Star Plus+ prospects and sits among the national elite when it comes to class recruiting rankings. But Riley also understands development and program fit. And he knows what a three-star prospect with a high ceiling looks like as well as the other elite coaches in the game. That was the case with Devan Thompkins, who is speed-running his transformation from high school basketball player to potential key contributor along the USC defensive line.