Tigers on South Carolina safety’s list

Spartanburg ( S. C.) l i nebacker/safety Justin Bridges-Thompson, ranked the No. 39 safety prospect in the country by Rivals.com, will officially visit the University of Memphis next weekend for its game against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 15.

And if that visit goes as smoothly as Bridges-Thompson thinks it will, he said, “there’s a great possibility” he’ll join up with one of his best friends, Sequoyah (Talequah, Okla.) quarterback and U of M commit Brayden Scott, and pledge to the Tigers.

“What I like is that the program is building,” Bridges-Thompson said. “I just need to take a look for myself. They’re spending money on facilities and catching up to date with the other teams in the country. They’re building, and they need great players.”

A commitment from the 6-2, 210-pound BridgesThompson would elevate the Tigers’ 2013 class, which has 10 prospects. The linebacker/safety hybrid had 155 tackles last season as a junior.

Br i d g e s -T h o mpson played safety his first two seasons in high school. Last season, he played inside linebacker. This year, he said he’s playing outside linebacker.

“At the next level, I could develop into a middle linebacker, or I could be the perfect big-sized safety,” Bridges-Thompson said. “It doesn’t matter. I think it’s great for me to be able to switch positions because if someone goes down, I can just pick right up and go in and play.”

In addition to the U of M, Bridges-Thompson is considering North Caroli- na, Charlotte, Arizona and Central Florida. He played for the U-19 USA team this past summer with Scott and will play for the World Team in February.

“They just need some big-time players (at Memphis),” Bridges-Thompson said. “I’m just waiting on the visit to see what’s up, to meet the coaching staff and see what they’re talking about. I’m just ready to go out there.”