'09 OH OL Hugh Thornton (Illinois Verbal)

[wadc45]

Originally Posted by iambrutus

great story, i wish this kid all of the best

I expect a commitment to Illinois in the near future...he and Henry Conway are two OL in-state that have seen their stock soar over the last few months.

[MD Buckeye]

Rivals $

8/18

From OrangeandBlueNews.....Still holds offers from Illinois, Oregon State, Washington State, Indiana, Michigan State, Akron, Bowling Green and others. Says Illinois is his favorite and says he may make a decision after his first game.

[osugrad21]

Rivals$

Committed to Illinois.

[osugrad21]

Link

High school football: Oberlin?s Thornton chooses Illinois

Shaun Bennett | The Chronicle-Telegram


The day before the start of the high school football season, the area got its second Big Ten player commitment and this one comes from a player who hasn?t officially played one down here.
Oberlin senior tackle Hugh Thornton has orally committed to play for Illinois ? following Vermilion tight end Derek Hoebing?s decision last month to play for Michigan State ? and can now focus on his senior season with the Phoenix.
?It?s more than just focusing on my senior year,? Thornton said. ?It takes a lot of stress off of me and now I have something to strive for ? playing in the Big Ten.?
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Thornton transferred to Oberlin from Idaho midway through his junior season, and Phoenix coach Dave McFarland began hitting the phones to get the recruitment process started.
?Illinois was the first school to respond,? McFarland said.
Run-game coordinator and offensive line coach Eric Wolford came to Oberlin to meet with Thornton, but really didn?t know a ton about the potential Illini recruit.
?He just wanted to come and talk to me and learn a little more about me,? Thornton said. ?After we met, he went into the library and watched my highlight film (on rivals.com) with my coach and the principal. Then he met me after my next class to tell me that I had a scholarship waiting.
?It put a big smile on my face.?
Cont...

[Buckskin86]

Illinois' Hugh Thornton's playing time coming early
Freshman offensive tackle likely to start again at Purdue
By Shannon Ryan Tribune reporter
October 23, 2009


When Hugh Thornton arrived at Illinois, the freshman offensive linemen sent out the vibe of unwavering confidence -- until he gave up a few sacks in practice.

"Immediately his confidence sank," senior center Eric Block recalled this week. "He was really was down. He was like, 'Yo, man, I'm sorry. I'm not going to be good enough to play with you guys this year. I'm just not ready.' "

Block laughed as he told the story because it's clear how wrong Thornton was.

He started against Indiana at right tackle and did well enough coach Ron Zook likely will play him again Saturday when Illinois goes for its first Big Ten victory at Purdue.

The move is a rarity in college football.

As Block put it, "True freshmen don't start on the offensive line. That's nuts."

The Illini's 185 rushing yards against Indiana was the most this season against an FBS opponent.

"I wasn't expecting to play this early," said Thornton, who is 6 feet 5 inches and weighs 285 pounds. "The team needed me to play and I saw it as an opportunity."

While Thornton sometimes struggled with pass protection, the Illini took notice of .

"It gave us a spark on the offensive line," Block said. "He comes out and plays hard. We played better because of it."

Zook had been looking for that kind of ignition when he swapped Thornton for Ryan Palmer.

When he watched the game tape, he felt comforted. That doesn't happen much when watching Illinois games these days.

"I looked at (offensive line coach Joe Gilbert) and said, 'That makes you feel a little better,' " Zook said. "The intensity. He's flying around. The more he learns the better he's going to be."

Thornton came to Illinois from Oberlin, Ohio, where he earned first-team all-state honors in football and was ranked third in the state in heavyweight wrestling.

But much of his background is rooted in Jamaica, where his mother raised him after she moved to the island for the laid-back lifestyle.

Illinois' Hugh Thornton's playing time coming early -- chicagotribune.com