Stephenson’s Thornton names Penn State his favorite
Generally the battle for Stephenson defensive tackle Mike Thornton is thought be between Georgia and Auburn. But I’ve long said not to discount Penn State in the battle for the state’s top uncommitted senior defensive lineman.
Sure enough, Thornton told me this week that Penn State is “pretty much” his favorite. The 6-foot-2, 280-pounder plans to make an official visit with the Nittany Lions the weekend of Nov. 7 when they play host to Ohio State.
Thornton said the same thing to PalmettoSports.com, which covers South Carolina recruiting, earlier this week. “They’ve got a good coaching staff that is going to be there for a while and they’re a good team,” Thornton said. “They’re probably my favorite right now.”
That news comes on the heels of Thornton’s second unofficial visit of the fall to Georgia this past weekend. But he said he had a great time in Athens.
“It went well. I enjoyed every phase of it,” Thornton said. “I went up there basically to see our [Stephenson] guys play [LSU linebackers Perry Riley and Kelvin Sheppard]. And they did good, too. Perry Riley even had the game-winning interception. I wanted Georgia to win but our guys to play well and it almost turned out like that. I was trying to keep it balanced.”
Thornton still gives Georgia high marks. He said he’s had a long relationship with Georgia defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner.
“It’s always the same with Coach G,” Thornton said. “Ever since I met him in the ninth grade he’s always very calm. He’s always straight with you. I’ve never seen him spaz out with anybody about where they’re going or what they’re doing in recruiting. He’s always the same.”
Thornton spoke glowingly of his time in Athens this past weekend.
“I got there right on time,” he said. “The Dawg Walk started as soon as I got to the Tate Center. I hadn’t seen that so that was pretty cool. I got to sit down with the coaches, got something to eat, walked around on the field during pregame warmups, kicked back and watched the game. It was nice.”
He said the Bulldogs are still a very strong consideration. He has gotten to be good friends with Douglass defensive lineman Garrison Smith, who has already committed to Georgia.
“He’s always talking to me about Georgia,” he said of Smith. “Georgia is a great school. I feel like I could fit into their system and it’d be nice to team up with Garrison Smith on that line. But I’ve got to make sure what’s the best situation for me and I haven’t done that yet.”
Time is of the essence for Thornton. He plans to enroll in college in January, so he has to make a decision by December.
“Any time between now and Jan. 7, really,” Thornton said. “I just have to take the entrance exam. Hopefully I’ll do that some time in December. I just really have to figure out if I’m going to do it
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52 comments Add your comment
Tom
October 7th, 2009
10:12 am
1st
NC Dawg
October 7th, 2009
10:14 am
first, woooooooo hooooooo!!
NC Dawg
October 7th, 2009
10:14 am
crap, 2nd
TOP RB RECRUIT TRE "DUCE" SORRELLS
October 7th, 2009
10:44 am
KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN FOR UNDERCLASSMAN PHENOM RB TRE SORRELLS 4AAAA….
TOP RB RECRUIT TRE "DUCE" SORRELLS
October 7th, 2009
10:46 am
KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN FOR UNDERCLASSMAN PHENOM RB TRE SORRELLS 4AAAA!!!!!!!!!
GT State Champs
October 7th, 2009
11:32 am
Second again NC Dawg? Get used to it….
GO JACKETS!!
Captain
October 7th, 2009
12:15 pm
You Jacket fans need to worry about your team and not ours. Thornton plans to enroll in Jan, yet did he say he had to take the entrance exam in Dec? Does that mean he is still waiting to take the ACT or SAT? Fine young man, would like to see him with a Red G on the helmet.
Score one for the Lions
October 7th, 2009
12:22 pm
So I guess this guy wasn’t ditched at some dorm party yet still has Penn State as his favorite. LOL! Looks like he’ll be visiting Happy Valley along with Marcus Lattimore for the White Out against Ohio State. Win or lose, there is nothing like a Penn State home game and I’m optimistic both players will be impressed enough to sign with JoePa.
WE ARE…. PENN STATE!
Flo-Ri-Duh!
October 7th, 2009
1:17 pm
If Thornton goes to Penn State he will be on Joe Pa’s last team in ‘11 which will also be Bobby Bowdens final year coaching if he goes that long. Penn State gets a lot of attention in the polls despite their rather easy schedule ( ranked 74th in the nation). If Thornton wants to be part of a great defense he should go to UGA but he knows he won’t have an easy time getting a starting job there considering the depth chart.
Dawg Pound
October 7th, 2009
1:41 pm
yea go play for a coach that will not be there for your entire career. gimme a break! SEC is football country boyzzzzzzzzz
chatt
October 7th, 2009
1:48 pm
Captain
What red g are you talking about? I thought the g on the helmets were black. Way to represent the ball licking nation with pride. You need to worry about knowledge of the next team’s bandwagon you jump on next. Red g that is funny I don’t care who you are! The g should be pink and lower case, but I did not get to choose. It is what it is. THWG
chatt
October 7th, 2009
1:51 pm
Score one for the lions is mistaken in that Lattimore is commited to USC east. Nice try, give you an a for effort.
Chip Towers
October 7th, 2009
2:27 pm
Chatt: afraid you’re both mistaken Lattimore hasn’t committed anywhere. He’s scheduled to visit Florida State this weekend, Auburn (Oct. 31) and Penn State (Nov. 6) and Oregon after the season. So he’s still looking around.
Score one for the Lions
October 7th, 2009
2:46 pm
Actually, only chatt is mistaken. I only said he WILL commit after seeing the Greatest Show in College Sports on Nov. 7. I know nothing is final…..yet.
Score one for the Lions
October 7th, 2009
2:50 pm
Oh, and Flo-Ri-DUH!, since when does UGA have a defense???
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
2:54 pm
WHO cares…………..he KNOWS he can thrive in the BIG TEN.
What I Know
October 7th, 2009
2:57 pm
Hey Chatt, don’t know if you are a GT fan, but if you are I can tell you that at least UGA knows what their colors are.
Brian LB-U
October 7th, 2009
3:00 pm
Larry Johnson Sr. is without question one of if not the top DL coach in the country and just as important, he’s a terrific human being. Mike Thornton would be well-served spending his college years in Happy Valley under LJ Sr’s tutelage.
Nice writeup, Chip, thanks!
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
3:07 pm
Score one for the lions……..YOUR team doesn’t get TESTED each week like an SEC team….SOOO get off your “high horse(lion)”!! Get off the “kitty” bandwagon!!
Score one for the Lions
October 7th, 2009
3:37 pm
You’re right Jake 7. We can’t all play Miss. St., Vandy, Kentucky, S. Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee and then hit the non-conference slate of North Texas, the Citadel, Florida International, Charleston Southern, etc., etc.
I will at least give credit to Bama for putting Penn State on their schedule (even though they’ve been putting it off for 10 years).
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
4:00 pm
SCORE ONE……………PLEEZE…..YOU PLAYED AKRON….TEMPLE….IOWA.BEAT you 21-10….UP COMING BATTLE…EASTERN ILLINOIS….NORTHWESTERN…..IS this a BASKETBALL schedule ?? You GUYS NEED to GET off BREAST FEEDING !!!
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
4:11 pm
Score One…..NOBOBY is AFRAID to play Penn ST…..THATS an UPGRADE for you guys !
Score one for the Lions
October 7th, 2009
4:20 pm
LOL! First day off the meds there Jake?
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
4:25 pm
Score One……I guess YOUR comment is DEFENSE!! OR WHATEVER??? Don’t GET cheap..You GOT a GREAT HEAD COACH….but THATS it!! As far as MEDS…I take two aspirin a day.How bout YOU ??
SgtCarter
October 7th, 2009
4:35 pm
Scott will have an emotional breakdown after the Fortt commitment if Peach Stater Thornton goes to Penn State. If Thornton “wants to be part of a great defense,” he’ll go to Penn State. The Dawgs D couldn’t stop Grandma Moses.
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
4:42 pm
Sgt Carter……..Are you GOMER’s friend?? DUMB…the….DUMB……
shawn
October 7th, 2009
4:43 pm
GA schedule is ranked 3rd in the nation, Penn St. is ranked 74th. LOL
SgtCarter
October 7th, 2009
4:56 pm
Jake go stand outside with your BR549 sign. All that the Georgia fans have is the strength of schedule ranking (who knows how good any team is until the season is over) Y’all have a good time at the Music City Bowl.
Bigdawwg
October 7th, 2009
5:14 pm
Big Mike don’t listen to these wannabees … You’re a class act and I for one know that as a player , you can play anywhere on any team … you have proven time and time again that you are a scholar first …baller second …
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
5:33 pm
PVT CARTER….Apparently you are a LITTLE weak in the CRANIUM ! It’s DOESN”T matter WHERE you START …..It is how YOU finish!! Tried to be a LITTLE more anal…YTICAL…..
Dewayne
October 7th, 2009
5:33 pm
Hey tittie lions, I’ve been to the depressing state of Pa, and the campus. Trust me it’s nothing to cheer about. Linebacker U who gave you that?!?!? You haven’t have a great linebacker since Jack Ham. The rest were pretty good college players who can’t play at the pro level!!! Gotta love those awesome Tittie Lions Ki Jana Carter and Courtney Brown now those are some NFL studs huh? Larry Johnson? has anyone seen him in awhile?!?! Your schedule is pretty weak and losing to Iowa at Happy Valley is pretty bad huh? At least we lost to teams ranked higher. But good luck up there in Pa Tittie Lions and stop with your dreaming!!!!
Jake 7
October 7th, 2009
5:37 pm
PVT CARTER………….Whooose ya TEAM ?? How DID you KNOW I had a USED car lot??
SgtCarter
October 7th, 2009
5:57 pm
Apparently the genius known as Dewayne hasn’t done his homework. All of these guys have played in the NFL. Way to go dimwitted hayseed.
Greg Buttle played nine seasons for the New York Jets in the NFL and is a member of their All Time Jets team.
Shane Conlin was named to the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons from 1990 to 1992
Andre Collins Collins went on to play 10 years in the NFL for the Washington Redskins. He was a starting linebacker for the team that won Super Bowl XXVI
Lavar Arrington made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2001-2003
Brandon Short appeared in Super Bowl XXXV as a rookie with the NY Giants
Paul Posluszny
Dan Connor
Dewayne
October 7th, 2009
9:54 pm
They suck dude!!! Jack Ham and that’s it period!!!! You keep putting all that info up but the bottom line is PSU sucks!!!! They can’t win the big games!!!!
SgtCarter
October 7th, 2009
10:02 pm
Yeah those other NFL LB’ers suck…real intelligent there skippy. Can’t win the big games? Penn State’s bowl record of 26-13-2 is better than Georgia’s (UGA has played 5 Peach Bowl games in Atlanta-essentially a home field) and oh yes… BEAT GEORGIA IN THE 1983 SUGAR BOWL. Next!
Dewayne
October 7th, 2009
10:03 pm
Greg Buttle played nine seasons then was cut!!! That’s awesome!!! Shane Conlan was alright!!! Andre Collins career was over after Washington which was five years!!! Yawn!!!! Lavar Arrington where is at now? Oh wait he’s the idiot who can’t ride a motorcycle plus his career was over before that!! Another washed up PSU linebacker as always!! WOW, Brandon Short appeared on the the Giants. Was it on the sidelines during a time out cheering the team? Dan Conner and Paul P. hasn’t done sh!t after leaving the PSU Tittie Lions!!! You f@g hahaha!!!
Dewayne
October 7th, 2009
10:07 pm
Hey, how did that Iowa game go for the Tittie Lions in Happy Valley? Oh wait, they got their overrated a$$es handled to them just like USC did to you too huh? Wow, very impressive!!!
Dewayne
October 7th, 2009
10:13 pm
Wow, since you have played in the Capital One Bowl, Outback, Alamo, Orange, and Rose Bowl since 2000. WOW!!! gotta love those 9-4 seasons huh? Go Poppa Joe and his milk of magnesia!!! Go Tittie Lions hahahaa
Hey DUH-Wayne
October 8th, 2009
12:07 am
Judging from your comments here, I highly doubt you could even find Pennsylvania on a map. So who’s bandwagon are you on, tool?
Don't Cross the da State Lion
October 8th, 2009
2:22 am
Dewayne, you want to talk about winning a big time. The last time Georgia won anything some guy named Walker was on your team (1980). Btw did that team with HW beat Penn State. No, a walk on from Penn State and a no name defense beat UGA. How did your Sugar bowl go against mighty West Va in your home state. Talk about holding down the fort. Bring up the outback and Cap One and Alamo, where has georgia played the Music City (01) Oahu (00)Cap One (04,09) outback (05) and the peach Bowl (06). Go back from the 1990’s and compare UGA in 3 BCS or major bowl games, Penn State in 5.Don’t let numbers kick ya in nuts
who cares
October 8th, 2009
10:48 am
At least if the kid goes to Penn St. he want be stuffing Bobo’s pathetic running game, like he would if he went to Auburn. Could you imagine a D.L in 2010 of Tyson, Omar Hunter, Garrison Smith,and Thornton. That would be 4 defensive tackles rated in the top 10 on one team. One can only dream. Even Martinez couldn’t screw up a dominant D.L. like that
sgtcarter
October 8th, 2009
11:40 am
Dewayne the dimwitted little boy has really embarrassed himself on here with his ignorance. Maybe he can tell us all of the great Georgia LB’ers who pleyed in the NFL. BTW, Duh-Wayne, I wouldn’t be taking junk since UGA is 3-2 and could be 0-5. South Carolina, Arkansas and Arizona State gave you all you could handle-and two of those games were between the hedges. The Tennessee Tech OC is feeling confident!
Dewayne
October 8th, 2009
1:54 pm
A lot of crying by the Tittie Lions I see!!! I don’t blame you. I would too if I was an fan of your overrated weak a$$ team. Bye Tittie Lions go cry to Poppa Joe!!!! Later B!tches!!!!
Dewayne
October 8th, 2009
2:03 pm
Sept. 5 AKRON
Sept. 12 SYRACUSE
Sept. 19 TEMPLE
Sept. 26 IOWA (1)
Oct. 3 at Illinois
Oct. 10 EASTERN ILLINOIS
Oct. 17 MINNESOTA (2)
Oct. 24 at Michigan
Oct. 31 at Northwestern
Nov. 7 OHIO STATE
Nov. 14 INDIANA
Nov. 21 at Michigan State
Now look at that tough shedule!!!! Wow, what power houses!!! Indiana, MSU, Northwestern,Akron,Syracuse,WOW the national power house TEMPLE, Illinois, and Powerhouse E. Illinois,and Minnesota. I tell you what now that is a killer schedule. How can the Tittie Lions continue to play each week with the toughness of that?!?!?! I’m ashamed of our schedule!!!! I bow to the might Tittie Lions schedule. Pretty weak like your team and grandpa Joe.
Dewayne
October 8th, 2009
2:17 pm
Hey you Penn State Tools no need to respond back. I’m done with this!!! Good luck in the battle of the overrated teams PSU vs. O I Chock State. Have fun in the slow ten and may you have a round of milk of magnesia with Poppa Joe. Peace out Tittie Lion Bitches!!!
Buck
October 8th, 2009
3:18 pm
Dewayne:
What in the HELL does “Tittie Lions” f’n mean??? That has to be the DUMBEST cut down I’ve EVER heard!
sgtcarter
October 8th, 2009
4:44 pm
Dewayne is an absolute jackass and likely a high school dropout. I’ll enjoy watching UGA get spanked some more this year because of your foolishness.
'10 GA DT Michael Thornton (Verbal Offer) - Page 2 - Recruiting Forums
October 8th, 2009
5:16 pm
[...] Atlanta newspaper 10/7: Thornton names Penn State his favorite Quote: [...]
SBLion
October 8th, 2009
7:47 pm
I’m not going to claim Iowa is an upper echelon program, but whichever mouth breather was bashing PSU for losing to Iowa needs to get some perspective. Iowa has won 3 of its 4 bowl games against SEC opponents this decade (LSU, Florida & USC with a loss to UF). To put it in SEC terms, they’re kind of like Auburn, great D and especially line play, but offense that’s not consistent. They are tough when on form and occasionally have a run at conference titles.
Losing to Iowa (repeatedly) sucks, but it’s not like we’re talking about losing to Vandy or Miss St.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
October 9th, 2009
12:12 am
I’m liking UGA a lot – RIGHT NOW?
Don't Cross the da State Lion
October 9th, 2009
1:07 am
Dewayne, you are the reason they invented birthh control. I am sure I speak for everyone when I say, I wish your parents never met!
Vick=Dog killing thug
October 9th, 2009
1:05 pm
Dewayne is Saint Simons daddy….