Thornton postpones graduation, plans to visit Georgia
On second thought, Mike Thornton is going to give this recruiting thing a little more time.
The Stephenson defensive lineman, considered one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state of Georgia, had planned on making his college decision about now. He was going to graduate from high school early and enroll in the college of his choice in January. But Thornton told me Monday he has decided to remain in high school for a second semester, which should relieve some of the intense recruiting pressure he has been experiencing the last few weeks.
“I just sat down and decided I needed to take some more time,” said the 6-foot-2, 285-pound tackle. “I didn’t want to rush into anything. My academics are fine. I’m still an A-B student. That’s not it at all. It’s a recruiting decision. I just want to make sure I make the right choice.”
Thornton said he plans to take some more official visits — he has been only to Penn State so far — and set up a personal workout regimen with Stephenson strength coach Reggie Ball Sr. to improve his strength and speed. Basically he wants to slow down.
Thornton said he hopes to make an official visit to Georgia this weekend. The Bulldogs are hosting their annual end-of-the-season banquet Friday night. But it’s dependent upon his family’s availability. He said he may try to set up some other officials but did not specify where.
“I just haven’t had time to really think about it until now,” he said.
Thornton’s recruitment picked up momentum steadily throughout the season to the point of overwhelming him late in the year. Once considered a three-team race between Georgia, Auburn and Penn State, it widened to include Clemson, South Carolina, Michigan, Miami, N.C. State, Arkansas, West Virginia and Tennessee at one point.
Eventually Thornton shut down the recruiting process altogether so he could concentrate on the Jaguars run in the playoffs. Their undefeated run ended unexpectedly short in the second round.
Now Thornton wants to simplify the process. This week, he has Georgia on his mind.
“Well you know, they did lose a couple of coaches and Coach [Rodney] Garner is the only coach left on the defense,” Thornton said. “But I’ve been knowing Coach Garner since the ninth grade and we talk all the time. I haven’t really talked to him about that situation but it’s sad that they had to do that. But Coach Richt is still the coach and he’s got to do what he thinks he needs to do to win. They had a down year but still finished second behind Florida so I think they’re going to get it turned around.”
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
114 comments Add your comment
UGA Alum
December 8th, 2009
4:56 am
FIRST!! and UGA needs all the defense commitments we can get! Load up!
bob
December 8th, 2009
5:25 am
Try GT. You can probably play right away on defense.
Nub
December 8th, 2009
5:36 am
Pray…… You will make the right decision…. Glory to ole Georgia!
We need more change at Georgia
December 8th, 2009
5:37 am
We need more changes at Georgia. We need an aggressive take no prisoner mentality on both sides of the ball. CMR must become more passionate and aggressive. Low key won’t cut it anymore. It’s time to get back to Georgia football … Junkyard Dawg style. I hope and pray the new DC will be one heck of a motivator and coach. I hope CMR don’t go looking for one of his friends like he did with Willie. I think it would be a good sell to recruits for them to realize there’s going to be new life and new excitement in the Georgia defense.
Come on recruits. Get on the Georgia train now and head for higher places.
wlson haynes
December 8th, 2009
6:04 am
you will thrive under cmr–uga all the way
Alabamadawg, who's never gonna visit the Outback Resturant again !!
December 8th, 2009
6:05 am
Doesn’t really sound like he’s that excited about visiting Athens…what a shame…
Johnny DangerDawg
December 8th, 2009
6:17 am
Alabamadawg,
Ha! Yeah, Outback really hosed the SEC East by selecting Auburn. It seems like they shouldn’t be allowed to pass up East teams except for years when the Cotton Bowl wants an East team.
tony
December 8th, 2009
6:19 am
We need Thornton bad! We are losing 4 defensive tackles to graduation. Replacing those guys should be their #1 priority. I believe Thornton will have an impact right away so don’t let this kid get away.
RomeDawg
December 8th, 2009
6:27 am
I like Longhorns better anyways! We need you bad in the trenches in Athens. Come Home!
InTheKnow
December 8th, 2009
6:33 am
Penn State bound.
SEC
December 8th, 2009
6:44 am
In February 2009 the University of Alabama board of trustees gave approval to begin stadium expansion of the south endzone,[2] with a capacity of approximately 101,000,[3] which, upon its completion, will make Bryant-Denny Stadium the largest stadium in the Southeastern Conference, as Neyland Stadium is currently undergoing renovations, which will reduce its current conference-leading seating capacity from 102,037 to 100,011
dawgerbrown
December 8th, 2009
6:59 am
Penn State is so cold and so far from home. Come on, go to UGA so your friends and family can come watch you play and visit. And you’ll play early, UGA is losing so much off the d-line this year. And never underestimate how important it is to look beyond football. Georgia companies love to employee former in state college players when their playing days are over. Even if they play pro ball. Go out of state and you’ll be forgotten.
hiveredtech
December 8th, 2009
7:12 am
Mike…..Coach Garner is leaving UGA also…he is simply staying around to finish the recruiting class and pool the wool over the recruits eyes…then he is gone before spring practice. There will be many hacked off recruits from the lies.
what has Georgia done since 1980?
December 8th, 2009
7:17 am
quote from coach paul johnson
dap01
December 8th, 2009
7:27 am
Go to Tech. You can wear yellow in front of 35,000 fans each week. Tell your family to be careful when coming to the games, there is a crime issue.
chipperdawg
December 8th, 2009
7:29 am
Beat Tech nerds 30-24 in 2009, thats what!
The Truth
December 8th, 2009
7:35 am
Any other school besides GA Tech will be a good choice. Tech Lies and Cheats. Who wants to be a part of that mess? We hope to see you play in Athens. But good luck to you no matter where you go. Go Dawgs!
Vick=Dog killing thug
December 8th, 2009
7:47 am
Sounds like an intelligent young man. Take your time and make a good decision. Hope that decision is the Bulldawgs? Athens is a fine place to be.
GA Tech Insider
December 8th, 2009
7:55 am
GA Tech is in the mix of things…don’t let anybody fool you.
GA Tech Insider
December 8th, 2009
7:56 am
That may be one reason for the delay in making his decision so quickly, who knows.
Paddy
December 8th, 2009
7:57 am
Mr. Thornton, you seem to be a very smart young man. I believe you are making the correct decision. If, in your heart, the notion to slow down was heard, listen to it. Believe in the people you trust and then make the call on college. Good luck!
Sarge1
December 8th, 2009
8:04 am
Thornton: Go to UGA…..you’ll get to play in a rinky-dink bowl EVERY year (Shreveport-YIPEEE). You can’t get in or STAY in Tech anyway. UGA is the place to go if you like to party AND to wear pinstripes. AND no having to go to class or be disciplined. Tech is only for nerds ( guys who want to excel at the game of life and want to be disciplined as part of a team). As in, you know team FIRST.
Bremen Dawg
December 8th, 2009
8:07 am
Come on pick Georgia, You have to ask yourself, Do you want to go to the NFL? Do your homework and see what teams put the most players in the NFL. That would be Georgia up there in the top 5. You can bet that you will playing for one of the best DC’s.
Bremen Dawg
December 8th, 2009
8:10 am
What do you get when you cross and whinner and a loser? A Georgia Tech fan
Do you want to play with a team and conference that will perpare you for the NFL? If you say no, then pick Tech.
mike on lake hartwell
December 8th, 2009
8:15 am
WE ONLY WANT STUDENT-ATHLETES THAT
WANT TO COME HERE BADLY. SO IF THAT
ISN’T YOU, MY MAN, STAY AWAY. IF THAT
IS YOU, WELCOME ABOARD AND GATA.
DawgByte
December 8th, 2009
8:17 am
Mike when considering where to go to school, remember the following statistics when the Bee’s come to mind:
1. UGA has won 8 out of the last 9 games against Tech.
2. ((((30-24))))
3. UGA has beat Tech 5 straight times at Bobby Dodd stadium.
4. When UGA plays Tech at Bobby Dodd stadium there are more Bulldog fans in the seats than GT fans.
5. Georgia owns Georgia Tech!
Carson
December 8th, 2009
8:19 am
Watch the 1st round this year, and see which in-state school has a D-Lineman selected first. Which school in-state sent 3 D-Linemen to the NFL ast year? What’s a “whinner”
Curlygreg
December 8th, 2009
8:20 am
Sarge1 is right: Tech is only for nerds. Which explains why most recruits don’t want to consider Tech. Besides the fact that most top recruits don’t want to play in the ACC if they have SEC talent.
Carson
December 8th, 2009
8:21 am
…or when losing AT HOME by one score against Kentucky, you can see your “fans” leaving in droves. UGA fans are with you when everything’s going well, but if you face adversity they abandon ship.
Ace Rothstein
December 8th, 2009
8:26 am
Moot issue. He will be in the plain blues and vanilla whites of PSU next fall.
what has georgia done since 1980 young man?
December 8th, 2009
8:29 am
that is the question you must decide and go for it…at Tech you can be on a program that is on the rise and is the best team in the State!!!!
RandomDawg
December 8th, 2009
8:30 am
Please come to UGA, but get your drivers license first.
Uga Fans
December 8th, 2009
8:32 am
YEA YEA, Carson, is that Kit Carson, or flagboy Carson, We emptied half the stadium of fans against Kentucky…they drove to Atlanta to wait for tickets to see the Dawgs stomp your f(l)agboy football Jackettes…the other half stayed..either way 1/2 our fans equal all of your fans..who don’t even sell out a 47,000 seat stadium every game..lmfao
Carson
December 8th, 2009
8:35 am
Oooooh…you have more fans. Kit Carson???Who writes your material? Like I said, when the going’s good UGA fans are with you. Start losing and they leave and trash their own campus.
The Grinch
December 8th, 2009
8:36 am
bob
December 8th, 2009
5:25 am
my sister could probably start right away on tech’s defense. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
hoards of tech fans
December 8th, 2009
8:36 am
why…7000 made it to tampa for the game that paul’s johnson, former army and ga. southwestern guru convinced everyone was a bigger game than Uga/Tech..course when you can’t beat your instate rival guess you have to grasp at straws,, like Espn stated the Acc champ. game is simply a regional game of zero national significance!
The Grinch
December 8th, 2009
8:37 am
Carson
December 8th, 2009
8:35 am
And tech’s fan base is so strong that they have to offer free cokes and hot dogs to put butts in the seats. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
hoards of tech fans
December 8th, 2009
8:38 am
yep , they’ll leave and we’ll still have twice the fans…and we won’t have flagboy in the band as a majorette,lmfao..or was he(she) your backup quarterback when we knocked Nesbitt(he/she) out of the game ..rolling on the floor, and lmfao
The Grinch
December 8th, 2009
8:39 am
hoards of tech fans
December 8th, 2009
8:36 am
Harumph, harumph!! And the A She She championship game was sooooo coveted that a whopping 57,277 attended. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! UGA had more fans when they played Tennessee Tech. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
this game meant everything to Tech
December 8th, 2009
8:40 am
morning bugs!!!!! how are ya…is it just 355 days till next year’s game…told ya i’d drop in every morning till then!!!!!! keeping my word…30 to 24..case ya didn’t remember..see ya tomorrow.!!
Bremen Dawg
December 8th, 2009
8:40 am
Tech Defense line requirements:
Size 6ft
Weight 240 +
Speed 5.5 40
Georgia Requirements
Min Height Requirements: 6 2″ +
Weight: 265-300
Speed: 5.0 and under
This equals getting pancaked by SEC teams.
The Grinch
December 8th, 2009
8:41 am
what has georgia done since 1980 young man?
December 8th, 2009
8:29 am
What have we done since 1980? Umm, well, we beat tech 20 out of 29 times. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Is Stevie Nicks coming to Grant Stadium
December 8th, 2009
8:41 am
that may draw a sellout folks
Carson
December 8th, 2009
8:43 am
The free cokes deal was BCPJ. HOTF- Why don’t you stop hiding behind a computer and go ask Nesbitt if he is a he or a she? And yes, the ACCCg was bigger than the UGA loss. It’s the difference between a BCS Bowl and a bowl in Nashville, which granted is better than going to Shreveport.
Go Jackets
December 8th, 2009
8:44 am
“4. When UGA plays Tech at Bobby Dodd stadium there are more Bulldog fans in the seats than GT fans.”
That statement is simply not true, or even close to true. Besides, why do Georgia people have to constantly remind everyone that they have more “fans.” Who cares. Georgia is a larger school with a gigantic “I never went to college” redneck fanbase. GT does not have that following, and we don’t care. Most Tech people would not know what to do with a redneck in overalls, we wear suits and ties and sit in boardrooms, so we don’t need them showing up at games or posing as “fans.” We don’t need to compare ourselves to Georgia anyway (See CPJ). We’re different, we like it that way, and we don’t have to apologize to Georgia for it. Why can’t you Georgia people just talk some football instead of belittling Tech all the time? I know they don’t teach math at Georgia, but I at least thought they taught y’all to put together rational thoughts.
Further, UGA has only won 8 of 12 against Tech. Don’t pad your stats by forgetting the late 90’s losses. Also, in the last 6 games at Sanford, the series is 3-3.
Have fun spending New Year’s at home after returning from the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl. We’ll be in Miami, at the ORANGE BOWL.
final thoughts
December 8th, 2009
8:45 am
Even in a banner year the Weak Schedule of the Acc produce a winner that loses to a 7-5 SEC school…Mary and William, jacksonville state, and Middle tennessee state need to either join the ACC or the acc schools who schedule them need to drop them from their schedules..they weaken your teams folks..ask virginia, Maryland and ultimately the Jackettes who schedule those three wimpy teams in 2009..two of which beat ACC teams!
final thoughts
December 8th, 2009
8:48 am
and Go Jackettes… we’ll have fun for one full Year talking math………..30 – 24 = we won by 6..how’s that for laymen’s term math..buggo…take your athletes to their Industrial Management Degree courses that you continually get by your uneducated players so they can stay eligible..trust me ..i have seen your curriculums for your athletes too!!!
Bremen Dawg
December 8th, 2009
8:49 am
Enjoy in now Techies because Free Shoes University is going to be back next year. GT loves Mark Richt, he wore them out at FSU and now he is doing it at Georgia. Enjoy it because it doesn’t last for long. Back to the top next year Dawgs
final thoughts
December 8th, 2009
8:50 am
oh and put your suit and tie on and drive in all that traffic..you work in a building that my company leases to you most likely..while i pine away in early retirement and am playing some golf…yes in my golf shirt…the overalls are for tonights honky tonk dance at the 2000 acre farm i own in northeast Georgia
Dooley's Cardiologist
December 8th, 2009
8:54 am
There is a Reggie Ball Sr.??????? I hope he wasn’t the one who trained Junior. If so, this kid is screwed. By the way, I hear Sreveport is nice this time of year (Like the Dawgs will sell their allotment. Everyone has already jumped off that bandwagon). Does anybody else smell oranges????