On Saturday night, the Florida Gators had several of their top remaining targets on campus for the Kentucky game.
Safety Bryce Thornton (5-10, 185, Alpharetta, GA. Milton) was on campus for his first game in the Swamp and he was impressed by the atmosphere.
“It was great just seeing the atmosphere for the first time,” Thornton said of his visit to Florida on Saturday. “All of the fans, I didn’t expect them to be that loud and just watching coach how he coaches all of the players.”
Thornton noticed several freshmen playing on Saturday including safety Kamari Wilson and he likes that the Gators are willing to play the best player.
“It’s a really big deal for me because I definitely want to play my freshman year,” he said on seeing the young guys play a lot on Saturday. “I really like the defense, I felt like they played a good defensive game and I feel like they can play even better.”
While on campus, Thornton talked to a lot of coaching including his main recruiter defensive coordinator Patrick Toney.
“I talked to pretty much the whole coaching staff,” Thornton said of his talks with the staff. “It felt real good talking to all of them. They just wanted to get me back down here and asking me when I’m going to commit. It’s a big thing for them.”
Toney and the rest of the coaching staff have explained to Thornton just how he fits into Florida’s defense and where he could play at on defense.
“They like that I’m versatile,” he said on what the staff likes about his game. “They feel like I can play nickel, corner, and safety. They feel like I can do it all on the field.”
Last month, Thornton cut his list down to Florida and Alabama and he says the Gators are the school that he feels like is after him the hardest.
“Florida has always been high for me, Florida has been coming after me the hardest,” Thornton said of his interest in Florida. “I might come back for one more game and then it will be decision time. I just want to see how the coaches coach the players and the atmosphere.”
INSIDERS TAKE: October 21st is Thornton’s official visit to Florida, and he says Florida and Alabama are tied at the top for him. Thornton says he will commit either in late October or on November 3rd.