Pro Baseball player (27 yr old) to walk on for USA Jags Football

Former McGill-Toolen Star Bubba Thompson Returns Home to Play Football at South Alabama.

In a surprising move that has the Mobile sports community buzzing, former McGill-Toolen Catholic School quarterback Bubba Thompson has enrolled at the University of South Alabama to join the Jaguars football team as a walk-on.

Professional Baseball player to walk on for USA Jags Football

Thompson, who will turn 27 this June, is unexpectedly returning to football after spending eight years in professional baseball.

Thompson was a standout athlete at McGill-Toolen, where he led the Yellow Jackets to the Class 7A state championship game in 2016.

During his senior year, he showcased his exceptional talent by passing for 3,173 yards and 38 touchdowns. Many local sports fans will remember him playing alongside Jalen Tolbert, who has since gone on to play for the Dallas Cowboys.

After high school, Thompson chose to pursue baseball, becoming a first-round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 2017. He reached the major leagues in 2022 and played for both the Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, appearing in 109 MLB games and stealing 27 bases while batting .232.

South Alabama head coach Major Applewhite has confirmed Thompson’s addition to the team. The former Yellow Jacket will join the Jaguars for offseason workouts and spring practices, where he’ll have the opportunity to compete with returning quarterbacks Gio Lopez and Bishop Davenport.

The Jags, who was the only team from the state of Alabama to win a bowl game, by the way 😊

USA Jags 2024 Veterans Bowl Game 18

Because Thompson never enrolled in college after high school, he has a full five years of NCAA eligibility available. While the transition from professional baseball to college football at his age is unusual, it’s not unprecedented. Mobile sports fans might recall Josh Magee, another local athlete who played professional baseball before having a successful college football career at UAB and South Alabama.

USA Jags vs Georgia Southern 13 1

Thompson’s return to Mobile adds an intriguing chapter to our local sports story, bringing his journey full circle from McGill-Toolen to the professional baseball diamond and now to Hancock Whitney Stadium, where he’ll don the blue and red of South Alabama.

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