Tag: Bryce Thornton

Florida DB target moves official visit up, locks in commitment date

This could be a big week for the Florida Gators and this Peach State defensive back.

Defensive back [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] will make his college decision on Thursday, and the Florida Gators are one of two finalists along with Alabama for the Peach State recruit. Florida’s already picked up a pair of crystal ball predictions from the experts at 247Sports, and the Gators received some more good news leading up to decision day. Thornton is moving his official visit up a week to see UF play LSU this weekend, according to a report from Swamp247.

Even though Thornton’s official visit will come after he commits, many believe that he’ll make that trip with a pledge to UF in the books. Alabama is loaded up at safety, and he’s been much closer with the Gators’ staff over the past few months. He’s been to the Swamp four times this year, including a Week 2 trip for the Kentucky game.

Thornton should get time at safety or the nickel (STAR) position once he gets to college. Florida will be losing Trey Dean next season, and the other two starters at those spots, [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence[/autotag], are both draft eligible.

Thornton is a three-star recruit on both the 247Sports composite and the On3 consensus. On3 is the only site that views him as a four-star recruit and has him at a No. 27 among safeties in the class of 2023, but ESPN isn’t too far behind, ranking him at No. 28 in his position group.

This could be one of Billy Napier’s diamonds in the rough that ends up a four-star when all is said and done. Several commits have seen their grades rise over the season, and there’s still plenty of high school ball to be played.

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Florida picks up a pair of crystal ball predictions from 247Sports

Although he’s yet to take his official visits, a pair of crystal balls have come in for safety Bryce Thornton in favor of Florida.

A pair of 247Sports recruiting insiders are convinced that three-star [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] will wind up a part of the 2023 Florida Gators recruiting class.

Both Blake Alderman and Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports logged crystal balls for Thornton on Monday, August 22, with a confidence score of six. Thornton narrowed things down to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Miami in April and is trending toward the Gators, Tide and Hurricanes. He has official visits lined up to all three programs during the fall.

Miami gets him on September 23, which is the weekend UM hosts Middle Tennessee State. Alabama is getting him for the Texas A&M game on Oct. 7, and Florida should get the last meeting with him on October 21, which is a bye week for the Gators.

“Though Miami has a visit scheduled, they seem more active with some other names on their board at this time,” Alderman wrote. “Alabama currently has three safeties committed in their 2023 recruiting class, and while they like Thornton, it doesn’t seem likely at this point for them to add a fourth. Then that leaves the Florida Gators, who have wanted to add some new blood into their safety room through the recruiting trail. Sources have also indicated to Swamp247 that Thornton is an absolute take for this coaching staff as well.”

Thornton’s last trip to the Swamp came in June, and he left extremely high on the program. Co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag], who is Florida’s area recruiter in Alpharetta, Georgia, have continued to press since then and hope to land a second safety to the class.

Four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag], the No. 200 overall recruit on the 247Sports composite, is the only other safety committed to Florida at publishing time, and Thornton would provide some depth to the class. The composite ranks him No. 502 overall and No. 45 among safeties. On3 is a little higher on Thornton, ranking him No. 28 at his position and giving him four stars.

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Florida one of two schools in play for this Peach State defensive back

The Gators are in the final round of competition for this defensive back from across the border.

Three-star defensive back [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] recently sat down with On3’s Chad Simmons and told him that the Florida Gators are neck and neck with the Alabama Crimson Tide for his services.

Thornton is expected to announce his commitment around the time of his birthday on November 22. Despite the expected timeframe, the rising senior has not ruled out announcing before the end of November.

The 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound safety out of Alpharetta, Georgia, has weekends set aside to take official visits to both Alabama and Florida. Thornton will be in Tuscaloosa on October 7 for the Crimson Tide’s game against Texas A&M and will be in Gainesville on October 21, when the Gators are on a bye week.

While top programs such as in-state Georgia, LSU, Miami and Texas have all offered Thornton, the Gators and the Crimson Tide are “equal” at the top of his recruitment, telling Simmons that those two schools are the two he has been in contact with the most.

Multiple coaches have been involved with Thornton’s recruitment, including cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], running backs and associate head coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag], and head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. This group recruitment effort has made an impact on the defensive back prospect, naming the family environment he feels in Gainesville a big reason why the Orange and Blue are so high up in his recruitment.

According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Florida Gators currently hold a 33.3% chance of landing Thornton’s signature while Alabama comes in second with a 21% chance. The On3 consensus rates him as a three-star recruit landing at No. 453 overall and No. 44 at his position nationally.

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This 2023 safety is ‘really high’ on Florida following third visit

Bryce Thornton’s third trip to the Swamp offered far more one-on-one time with coaches than his previous visits had.

Last Sunday, Milton High (Alpharetta, Georgia) safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] made his third unofficial visit to the Swamp. The three-star recruit was part of a smaller group of visitors that came to Gainesville on the final day of the quiet period, which led to him receiving more attention than he had on previous visits, according to Swamp 247.

“This was more one-on-one,” Thornton said. “I got to hang out with (defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick) Toney more and it was less people (on campus).”

He also got to spend time with head coach Billy Napier and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] as well on the visit, and all three coaches made it known that he was a priority target for them. They went over [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag]’s film to give Thornton an idea of where he’d fit into the offense. Right now, his versatility projects to time at both free and strong safety, and Florida could use him at the STAR position if necessary.

Thornton won’t decide until November, though, and he has officials lined up throughout the season. Miami gets him first from Sept. 23-25 for the game against Middle Tennesee, and Alabama gets him over the Oct. 7 weekend when the Crimson Tide host Texas A&M. Then, it’s off to Florida on Oct. 21 during one of the Gators’ bye week, and LSU vs. Alabama is his final scheduled visit on Nov. 5. He’s looking to add a fifth to the itinerary as well.

Alabama and Florida are considered the frontrunners right now, but November is a long time from now and feelings can change depending on how things go over the fall. Thornton didn’t outright name the Gators as leaders, but his comments to Swamp247 following the visit were favorable for UF.

“I’m really high on Florida,” he said. “I just love it when I’m down there. I just have a great vibe when I’m down there and I feel like I could stay there and live there.”

Thornton is ranked No. 45 among safeties in the class of 2023 and is a top-500 recruit on the 247Sports composite (No. 486). On3’s individual rankings do have him listed as a four-star recruit and up to No. 27 at his position, though.

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Highly-sought safety recruit warming up to Florida following 3rd visit

The Gators are working hard for this hard-working 4-star safety.

A busy month of recruiting for Florida football is coming to a close but [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. were able to get in plenty of visits — both official and unofficial — during June. A big name that stopped in town on Saturday was three-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] out of Alpharetta (Georgia) Milton, who joined three official visitors for some one-on-one time with the coaching staff.

“What stood out mostly was the coaches I talked to, like Toney, Napier, Raymond and Chaney. It was just great to have conversations with all of them,” Thornton told Gators Online in regards to his third campus visit. “From a football aspect, they were just saying I’m a main priority and they loved that I was there. We also talked about off-the-field stuff and life stuff. That was good talking to them.”

The first name he mentioned, co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney, has led the efforts to recruit the 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound defensive back, who has set expectations for Thornton at both the safety and STAR positions.

“I just love how he knows so much about the game of football. I feel like he can really develop and help me,” the rising senior offered on Florida’s assistant coach. “As a person, I just feel like he’s just a great person. He speaks his mind and would help me whenever I need something.”

The Gators are not alone in their pursuit of the Peach State product, with a top-five list consisting of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers and Miami Hurricanes, in addition to Florida. The Tide as well as the Gators have been recruiting him the hardest of late.

Thornton is ranked No. 485 overall and No. 45 nationally at his position according to 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 443 and 44, respectively; On3’s traditional metrics, however, give him a four-star rating and rank him at No. 35 in the state and No. 27 at safety. Florida currently holds a modest edge on On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 30% chance of signing him, just ahead of ‘Bama with a 22% chance.

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Gators hosting final group of official visitors before dead period begins

The Florida Gators’ recruiting staff have had a busy month of June, but there is still one more group to host over the weekend before wrapping things up.

The month of June has been one of the busiest since the Billy Napier era began at the University of Florida. Elite prospects roamed the halls each weekend on official visits, and there’s still one more group to get through before the dead period begins on Monday, June 27.

Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], four-star wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and Pearl River C.C. transfer linebacker [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] make up the list of visitors, according to 247Sports. Three-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] is also scheduled to be in town this weekend on an unofficial visit.

Kearney is one of Florida’s top targets on the offensive line. He’s been to campus twice already this year, and the Gators even offered his friend and teammate a preferred walk-on spot as a sign of good faith. It’s down to Florida and FSU for the Jacksonville-area recruit, but he says he doesn’t want to rush a decision and will take likely things into the fall.

Jean is a former Miami commit that backed off the pledge in March after just two months. The Hurricanes are still in the mix, but Georgia and Texas A&M might be bigger threats for Florida. He’s from South Florida, though, so the Gators could stand to gain some favor with the in-state recruit over the weekend.

Jefferson picked up an offer from the Gators fairly early on in the spring and has since collected many more from SEC programs. He said that Florida was his leader after getting the offer, but things may have changed since then. Getting him on campus should get Florida a chance to get back on top of things in this recruitment.

A pair of five-stars from the class of 2024 will also be on campus over the weekend. Athlete [autotag]KJ Bolden[/autotag] and edge rusher [autotag]Eddrick Houston[/autotag] are names to watch, as is four-star athlete [autotag]KingJoseph Edwards[/autotag].

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Gators crack top 5 for this Peach State safety

Can Florida beat out Alabama, Georgia and LSU for this 2023 safety?

Milton, Georgia, safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] isn’t short on college offers, but he is short on time with a planned commitment coming in August. Needing to cut down the list to a select few, Thornton decided to release a top 5 on Sunday and it included the Florida Gators.

Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Miami are also in the hunt, and all five programs should receive an official visit from Thornton over the summer, according to On3. He said that he picked the five schools that have put the most time into recruiting him and made him feel the most important. Now he needs to figure out which one is the perfect fit.

“I have visited Florida twice and I get a good vibe down there,” Thornton said. “I have been talking to coach Toney, the defensive coordinator, and he has really made a good impression on me. I like the coaches, I like Gainesville, and the vibe feels good for me down there.”

Thornton’s actually visited four of his top five so far this season, with the exception being Miami. He’s looking for a good academic program in addition to a strong athletic program, so his officials should hold a lot of weight when it comes to his final decision.

On3’s individual rankings have Thornton as a four-star recruit and at No. 27 among safeties in the class of 2023. The On3 consensus and 247Sports composite agree that he’s a three-star recruit and have him somewhere around 40th at his position.

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Priority safety target gives the latest on recruitment

The Clemson Insider recently caught back up with one of Clemson’s foremost safety targets in the 2023 recruiting class. The Tigers and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn specifically, keep reinforcing to Alpharetta (Ga.) three-star …

The Clemson Insider recently caught back up with one of Clemson’s foremost safety targets in the 2023 recruiting class.

The Tigers and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn specifically, keep reinforcing to Alpharetta (Ga.) three-star Bryce Thornton that he is a priority for Clemson, as far as rising seniors go.

“I just text Coach Conn a lot,” Thornton said. “He texts me almost every other day. I feel like our relationship has been the same — it’s been great. Coach Conn is a very chill guy.”

Conn isn’t the only coach from Clemson that’s been in contact with Thornton, as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Wesley Goodwin has also played a part in the Peach State safety’s recruitment.

“It’s been a very good relationship,” he said, “the same as Coach Conn. He texts me like every other week. It’s a good relationship between me and him.”

Alpharetta will start spring practice come May 1, and Conn and Goodwin will almost certainly be down there to check out not only Thornton but his teammates and counterparts in the secondary in Robert Billings and Brayden Holmes.

As far as Thornton’s recruitment is concerned, he’s planning on dropping a top-five schools list come Saturday, April 24. He’s currently in the process of winding his options down. That doesn’t mean he’s closer to a commitment per se, but he’s closing in on a group of finalists that he wants to focus on from here on out.

While not wanting to reveal his intentions, we asked Thornton if Clemson will make the cut.

“It’s a chance they’ll be in there,” he said. 

When asked directly, he said that the Tigers are currently standing high in his recruitment. If Clemson were to be among his final schools, Thornton said that Clemson’s family atmosphere would certainly play a part as to why. 

Since he was last at Clemson, Thornton did a tour of schools with his 7-on-7 team. He visited Florida, UCF, FAMU and Florida State. Thornton has also made his way back to the University of Florida, as well as trips to LSU and Miami, which came on Thursday, April 14.

Thornton says that Alabama and Florida are the two schools that are currently recruiting him the hardest.

Clemson is certainly up there as well, though Thornton is unsure when he’ll make his way to Tiger Town next. He imagines it could possibly be this summer, which could bode well for Clemson’s chances at being a player in his recruitment down the road.

— Photo for this article courtesy of Bryce Thornton

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Coveted safety wants to take an official visit to Florida this summer

Florida coaches Billy Naper and Patrick Toney told three-star safety Bryce Thornton to keep coming back to visit.

Three-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] didn’t have the best first visit to Florida as it was rushed because he was with his 7-on-7 team and they wanted to see more than one school in a day. However, it didn’t keep Thornton from coming back. He made it to the Swamp for the second time this past weekend and told 247Sports that he wants to take an official visit here this summer.

One of his favorite parts of this weekend’s visit was seeing the team partake in its second scrimmage of the spring. Florida co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] sees Thornton as nickel in his defense, so he spent a good chunk of the scrimmage watching [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag], [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag].

Thornton thinks he would be a good fit in the Gators’ defense and likes the idea of playing in the box and blitzing sometimes or playing more outside.

During his visit, he said he spent the most time around Toney and head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. Thornton said they told him to keep coming back to campus and keep working hard. They also liked how hard he plays on film.

Thornton plans to drop his list of top five schools on April 24, and the Gators have a good shot of making it due to the relationships he has built with people around the program. He added that he wants to have a decision made by the start of his senior season.

So looking ahead to official visits, he hopes to take some in the summer and plans to use one to see Florida again this summer.

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Fast-rising Peach State DB all smiles after new Clemson offer

A talented defensive back prospect from Georgia visited Clemson on Monday and left campus with an offer in hand. Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) 2023 three-star safety Bryce Thornton was among the recruits on campus for the Tigers on Monday and took in …

A talented defensive back prospect from Georgia visited Clemson on Monday and left campus with an offer in hand.

Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) 2023 three-star safety Bryce Thornton was among the recruits on campus for the Tigers on Monday and took in Clemson’s fourth spring practice to date, as well as a tour of the facilities.

“I had a great visit,” he told The Clemson Insider in an exclusive phone interview. “I went around there pretty early so they could show me around. I hung out with Coach (Mickey) Conn a lot. I went to meetings, just to see how they did some of their defensive sets. I just toured around Clemson. I watched their practice too.”

At the end of Monday’s practice, Conn and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney came up to Thornton and told him he had an offer.

“It means a lot for them to tell me that I have an offer,” Thornton said. “It’s been one I’ve been waiting on for a minute too, so it means a lot. I was just smiling. I was just very excited when they told me.”

While he’s still in the process of evaluating things, Thornton considers Clemson to be a top school in his recruitment, especially after Monday’s offer.

A lot of that has to do with his relationship with Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, with who he got to spend a lot of time on Monday.

“Coach Conn is a very good coach, from what I had seen,” Thornton said. “He’s a very chill, funny person. He’s just fun to be around. The way he coaches his players, I feel like he does a good job.”

According to Thornton, Conn told him that he loved his game and that he loves that he’s versatile and can play either safety or nickel.

Thornton became the second junior safety out of Milton to be offered by Clemson in a 48-hour span. Three-star Robert Billings, who is close friends and teammates with Thornton, announced his offer from the Tigers on Saturday.

Billings was on campus this past weekend for Clemson’s Junior Day, while Thornton was visiting the University of Alabama for the Crimson Tide’s junior day.

Thornton agreed that the Tigers helped themselves this weekend — as far as his recruitment is concerned — and that they certainly were able to further put things into perspective for him.

Alabama also offered Thornton this past weekend during his visit. This year alone, he has brought in offers from Pittsburgh, Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi State, Maryland, Florida, Auburn, LSU and others.

Bryce’s dad, 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 by the Dallas Cowboys. Bryce’s older brother, also named Bruce, is a 2022 Ohio State basketball commit.

–Photo for this article courtesy of @Brycethornton_2 on Twitter

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