Kanye Thompson immediately became an incoming player to watch as the Panthers continue tweaking their roster for 2026.
Thompson, a McKeesport native, shined brightly as a star in football and track at Slippery Rock over the past few years, earning All-American honors in both sports. He committed to the Panthers on Thursday.
Upon entering the transfer portal in mid-November (Division II doesn’t utilize the Jan. 2-16 window for entry adhered to by Division I), big-time offers started pouring in for Thompson.
A speedster defensive back who set a Slippery Rock record with a 10.13-second 100-meter dash in track, Thompson eventually whittled down his list of suitors to three: Ohio State, Tennessee and Pitt.
In the end, he chose the Panthers, giving coach Pat Narduzzi arguably his most exciting pickup thus far into portal season.
chances make champions #H2P pic.twitter.com/pgOb4bxPsS
— Kanye Thompson (@ThompsonKanye) January 8, 2026
On the gridiron, Thompson racked up 60 tackles, four interceptions and 10 pass breakups last season, earning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) first-team All-Region and All-PSAC West honors.
In 2024, he made seven starts with 25 tackles while also returning punts. Thompson redshirted a season upon arriving at Slippery Rock in 2022.
He also competed in both indoor and outdoor track and was a six-time PSAC champion and eight-time All-PSAC selection.
At the Division II National Championships in May, he placed 10th in the 100-meter dash in 10.14 seconds. A year prior, he placed 16th in the event with a time of 10.34 seconds.
Thompson was also a part of Slippery Rock’s 400-meter relay squad that captured first place at the PSAC championships behind a school record time of 40.46 seconds.
In the indoor 60-meter dash, Thompson has clocked as fast as 6.7 seconds. He won the event at the 2024 PSAC championships while finishing as runner-up in 2025.
Thompson was a WPIAL standout at McKeesport, lettering for four years in football, basketball and track.
His addition marks the second straight year the Panthers have added a player from the PSAC. Last January, fellow defensive back Rashan Murray out of Cal (Pa.) joined the program.
Murray appeared in three games for Pitt last fall.
