Illinois on Monday landed a commitment from Missouri transfer wide receiver Khmari Thompson. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior has two years of eligibility remaining. Barring NCAA transfer reform, he must sit out the 2020 season before regaining eligibility for the 2021 season.
“They were the best fit academically and on the field.” Thompson told Ryan Evan of why he is committing to the Illini.
Thompson was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2018, and chose Missouri over Kansas State, Old Dominion, Purdue, and Illinois. Thompson will bring speed to Illinois’s receiver group. The Georgia native appeared in three games during the 2018 season and none last year.
A notable speedster, Thompson also competed on Mizzou’s track and field team as a two-sport athlete.
Check out his senior season Hudl highlights here
From the film, Thompson has blazing speed and can take the top off the defense. He also has excellent feet, gets good releases off the line, and is a good route runner. He also has a good catch radius and makes some highlight reel catches in traffic. He does not look like a track athlete playing receiver, he looks like a receiver with track athlete speed.
Illinois continues to bolster its short-term outlook via the transfer portal. After landing several impact transfers last season, Illinois has now added seven transfers this offseason: Thompson, California DT Chinedu Udeogu, Louisville S TreSean Smith, Mississippi State OL Brevyn Jones, Miami WR Brian Hightower, New Mexico State WR Desmond Dan, and Wofford OL Blake Jeresaty.
