Matt L. Stephens

matthewstephens@coloradoan.com

Sophomore running back Deron Thompson has left the CSU football team.

Thompson, 5-foot-10, 178 pounds, told the Coloradoan on Sunday night that he had been granted his release to transfer. In two seasons with the Rams, he rushed for 135 yards on 30 carries but saw action in only two games in 2015 — a 65-13 victory against Savannah State and a 41-17 loss to San Diego State.

“Nothing against Coach (Mike) Bobo or anything, I like him, I just felt like I never got the opportunity I deserved. I only had seven carries this season and they were basically all in one game,” Thompson said. “Every day in practice, I showed I deserved to play and needed to play. It just didn’t seem like it was ever a priority to get me on the field. I never was late to meetings, never was in trouble, never failed a drug test. I did everything I was asked and felt I was as good as anyone else out there.”

He was a three-star recruit in 2014, coming out of Northwest High School in Wichita, Kansas, where he was ranked the No. 10 player in the Sunflower State by 247Sports. Thompson rushed for 3,620 yards and 46 touchdowns during his high school career and had competing offers from Minnesota, Kansas State, Western Michigan and Army.

He said Kansas is the main school he’s looking at transferring to, but that Kansas State is also in the mix.

Thompson also runs the 100- and 200-meter sprints for the CSU track and field program and said he plans on running with the team during the outdoor season. His 40-yard dash time has been clocked at 4.33 seconds.

Colorado State University is loaded at running back entering the 2016 spring. Dalyn Dawkins, who will be a junior in 2016, rushed for 867 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2015; rising sophomore Izzy Matthews rumbled his way to 590 yards and five scores. The Rams also bring in highly touted back Darius May out of New Orleans and Rashaad Boddie from the Seattle area as part of their 2016 signing class.

MORE CSU FOOTBALL NEWS:

CSU's full 2016 football schedule announced

CSU sets spring football game for April 23

Rashard Higgins has more to offer NFL than speed

For insight and analysis on athletics around Northern Colorado and the Mountain West, follow sports columnist Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.