When defensive end James Thompson Jr. was first approached about changing college football destinations after stepping into the transfer portal, two magic words resonated for him: fit and family.

Speaking to WCIA last Friday, Thompson, who in the offseason transferred from Wisconsin to Illinois along with ex-Badgers teammates Leon Lowery Jr. and Curt Neal, said he was looking for a good mix of football and community at his next stop.

And the first voice Thompson heard from during the process - that of Illini coach Bret Bielema - was very much speaking his language.

"I'm a big relationship guy," Thompson said. "When I first hit the portal, the first coach to contact me was coach Bielema. That made a big impact on me. Talked to me every step of the way. That trickled down to coach [Terrance Jamison] and coach [Aaron Henry]. Those guys are really cool people and they really preach that family atmosphere. And I felt that through the phone - and when I visited here, too. So that's the main reason why I chose Illinois."

It didn't hurt that Bielema - who maintained some ties from his days as head coach at Wisconsin (2006-2012) with the likes of Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard and former Badgers coach Paul Chryst - had done his homework.

"James is a player, I remember from when we played them two years ago, [who] was someone formidable," Bielema said. "I called [Leonhard] right away, just kind of checking. ... I knew Jimmy, was there with him. I reached out to Paul as well. Just wanted to make sure what I was seeing was real, because I thought James would be a great fit."

Thompson was reminded of these conversations when chatting with Bielema during the portal process.

"I think he hit me up and everything, and told me he got information from my previous coach," Thompson said. "He was telling me about that and everything, that I had a good impact on coach Leonhard. And he said good things about me. Coach Bielema said, 'Yeah, you could be a perfect fit for us.' So that made a big impression on me."

Thompson said he is not only excited to join some teammates with whom he's already familiar but also rematch his former team Nov. 22 in Madison.

He also joked that he is grateful to no longer have to watch former Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton cause havoc on the Wisconsin offensive front. Newton, who now plays for the NFL's Washington Commanders, was ejected in the teams' most recent meeting in October 2023, a 25-21 Badgers comeback win.

"To this day, I believe if Johnny Newton didn't get ejected," Thompson said, "that would've been a little tough to pull out the win there. At the end of the day, Illinois has a tough brand of football."