Sports

California High School Basketball Star Gained 70 Pounds To Become Starting Defensive Lineman At USC

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Devan Thompkins USC Football Weight
John McGillen / USC Athletics

Devan Thompkins is going to start on the defensive line for USC during the 2025 college football season. The former California high school basketball star has come a very long way over the last three years.

It is a testament to hard work and dedication.

Thompkins underwent a serious weight transformation to play college football on a high level. He gained more than 70 pounds to fit his new role!

Where did Devan Thompkins come from?

Thompkins grew up just outside of San Jose, California in the town of Tracy— right in the middle of Stockton and Modesto. His uncle, Larry Grant, played linebacker in the NFL so football runs through his blood.

However, he chose to focus only on basketball from the sixth to 12th grade.

Thompkins spent his first three years of high school at St. Mary’s, where he averaged 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds as power forward as a junior. All signs pointed toward a college career on the hardwood.

And then somebody got in his ear. Devan Thompkins transferred to Edison High School as a senior to play both sports— football in the fall, basketball in the winter and the spring.

He made nine tackles with two pass deflections during his senior year of high school football at defensive end and caught three passes for 24 yards at tight end.

Even though his stats were limited, Thompson’s massive frame made him a promising project on the gridiron. Most major recruiting sites ranked him as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2022.

USC was the most consistent suitor during the recruiting process. The Trojans ultimately received his commitment over 12 other offers from schools like Missouri, Oregon, Utah, San Diego State and Arizona.

From the hardwood to the gridiron.

Thompkins barely played as a freshman or a sophomore in college. He made just one tackle in three games in 2022 and 2023 while the coaching staff tried to turn him back into a football player.

Last year was a breakout year.

Devan Thompkins recorded 24 tackles with 1.5 sacks and three pass breakups in 13 games with six starts. All of the hard work finally started to pay off.

He just kept getting better with every game.

Now, as USC looks ahead to 2025, there is a lot of pressure on Devan Thompkins to succeed. Head coach Lincoln Riley called him an “under-the-radar” player to watch. You would have to be blind to miss him!

Thompkins arrived to campus at 220 pounds. He will play his redshirt junior season at 290.

That is quite the transformation in just three years! Credit to the coaching staff in Los Angeles. They took a “skinny” basketball player with only one season of high school football experience and turned him into a beefy defensive lineman in the starting lineup.