Less than a week after he was one of two running backs to leave Toledo, Art Thompkins has already found himself a new college football home.
On Twitter Wednesday in the midst of the start of the Early National Signing Period, UConn announced that Thompkins has been added to the program’s football roster. As he left Toledo as a graduate transfer, Thompkins is eligible to play immediately for UConn in 2019.
We have one more addition for #NSD19. We are excited to welcome @UToledo graduate Art Thompkins to #UConnNat19n! pic.twitter.com/oKEpxRbkSK
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) December 19, 2018
This past season, Thompkins was second on the Rockets with 563 yards and six rushing touchdowns. He finished the Toledo portion of his collegiate playing career with 1,427 yards and 11 touchdowns on 231 carries.
Given the tumult the Huskies have endured at the position this year, especially on the injury front, a healthy Thompkins will be a welcome addition.
In early August, Nate Hopkins, who led the Huskies in rushing touchdowns in 2017, decided to leave the football team. Two weeks later, Donevin O’Reilly, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship over the summer and was on track to be the No. 1 running back, was lost to a season-ending ACL injury. In late September, freshman Khyon Gillespie went down with his own ACL injury in the loss to Syracuse.
Then, to add insult to literal injury, Zavier Scott suffered tears to his MCL and PCL in mid-November that will sideline him until next summer.