DB Bryce Thornton Names Florida Gators in Top Five

Peach State safety Bryce Thornton includes the Florida Gators in his top five schools.

Milton (Ga.) 2023 safety Bryce Thornton has included the Florida Gators in his top five schools, he announced on Sunday afternoon. The Gators are joined by Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Miami in Thornton's top five. 

Top 5 @ChadSimmons_ @JeremyO_Johnson @ScarboroughMike @RWrightRivals @Corey_Bender pic.twitter.com/dcPJS0KKQW

— BRYCE THORNTON (@Brycethornton_2) April 24, 2022

The Gators' new coaching staff began pursuing Thornton by sending an offer his way on February 23. LSU and Alabama both followed suit and offered Thornton in the following days, among other schools that didn't make Thornton's top five.

Thornton reciprocated UF's interest by unofficially visiting Florida on March 19 and April 9, bonding with safeties coach/co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney among other assistants during those visits.

Thornton is considered the No. 40 safety and No. 401 overall prospect in the class of 2023, according to the On3Sports Consensus rankings. 

A varsity contributor since his freshman season, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound safety has tallied 155 tackles, six tackles for loss, eight interceptions (including two pick-sixes), 28 defended passes and two forced fumbles in his high school career. 

Thornton has also rushed 59 times for 368 yards and two touchdowns, caught 10 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown and averaged 19.6 yards per kick return on 14 attempts.

Thornton is one of several safety prospects the Gators have prioritized throughout the first half of the 2023 recruiting cycle, along with St. John's Prep's (Mass.) Joenel Aguero, Thompson's (Ala.) Tony Mitchell, West Orange's (Fla.) Jordan Castell and Lake Wales' (Fla.) Jaremiah Anglin Jr.

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