Georgia defensive tackle Trenton Thompson is returning to school this summer and is on pace to compete later this year, second-year Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said Monday.
The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder withdrew from classes in February for an undisclosed medical condition. Thompson earned MVP honors during the 31-23 victory over TCU in last December’s Liberty Bowl with three sacks, but he underwent shoulder surgery after the season and was not scheduled to go through spring practice even before withdrawing from the university.
“Trenton has done a great job rehabbing,” Smart said on the Southeastern Conference’s post-spring teleconference. “His shoulder is much better. He is able to move a lot better now than he was before. Medically, he has done really well.”
Thompson was the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2015 signing class and had 25 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss that year as a freshman. He racked up 56 tackles as a sophomore, including 9.5 lost-yardage stops.
Smart said Thompson is not taking classes this month but will return for summer school. The first summer-school session is scheduled to begin in early June.