This fast-rising Peach State defensive back has been in contact with Clemson co-defensive coordinators Wesley Goodwin and Mickey Conn. In a conversation with The Clemson Insider earlier this week, Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) three-star Bryce Thornton said that he would like to visit Clemson for spring practice next month.
Thornton — a 5-11, 185-pound junior — announced via social media Friday that he will be at the University of Alabama come March 5. So while Thornton will not be in attendance for Clemson’s Junior Day, he’s already thinking about making a trip to The Valley in the near future.
He has participated at the Dabo Swinney Camp in the past, so any return visit won’t be his first time on campus. Clemson is looking at him as a safety, this time around though, hence why Conn has been his lead recruiter to this point.
“I really loved being down there,” Thornton said. “Then, I was playing cornerback and I was talking to Coach (Mike) Reed a lot. I just like the campus and how the coaches and players were helping me. I liked it a lot.”
Conn has been in contact with Thornton for the past 2-3 months and they’ve built a foundation of a strong relationship. Thornton estimates that he’s in contact with Clemson’s safeties coach just about every three days, as they check in on one another.
What does Conn like about his game?
“They tell me they like how I play and my instincts, how I tackle and the speed I play at,” he said.
Thornton feels like he’s a playmaker on the defensive side of the football and described himself as such. He didn’t go into much further detail about his playstyle, he’d rather be known for someone who just loves to play the game of football.
Across his junior campaign this past season, the talented safety prospect recorded six interceptions, doubling his total from the season prior. He also tripled his total tackle numbers.
Thornton currently ranks as the No. 43 safety in the class of 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. It’s only a matter of time before he’s considered one of the top safeties in the nation, as he continues to shoot up recruiting boards across the country.
Prior to Jan. 1, he already held 10 offers from Power 5 programs across the country. Since then, he’s been re-offered by the new coaching staff(s) at the University of Miami and Oregon and added offers from Pittsburgh, Georgia State, ECU, Louisville, Texas, Jackson State, Kentucky, Mizzou, Mississippi State, UConn and Liberty.
While the recruitment process can be a daunting task, Thornton is fortunate to have his older brother, Bruce, who is committed to the Ohio State University to play basketball and is one of the top recruits in the country. At the same time, Bryce’s dad, also named Bruce, played college football at the University of Georgia in the early 2000s and was later selected in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft.
“They’ve been a great resource for me,” Bryce said of his father and brother. “They told me to have fun with the process and just try to enjoy as much as I can before I have to make a decision. They’ve also taught me to just keep working and everything’s gonna fall into place.”
Right now, Bryce is keeping an open mind, as far as his recruitment is concerned. He laid out what he’s looking for in a school at the next level in pretty simple terms: can they help him get to the NFL and can they help him become a better man?
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