Jacksonville State University Athletics

JSU CAREER: 2017: Appeared in 11 games during his redshirt junior year at Jacksonville State…wrapped up six solo tackles and assisted with nine…recorded 4.0 tackles for loss for a total of 16 yards…picked up a half-sack for a loss of three yards…hurried the quarterback six times and forced one fumble…posted a career-best three tackles and forced a fumble against Murray State on Nov. 4…his 1.5 tackles for loss against the Racers set his career high and accounted for a season-best seven yards lost. 

2016: Appeared in all 12 games during his first season in Jacksonville…finished the season with 11 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks…also credited with two forced fumbles, three quarterback hurries and one pass breakup…recorded his first forced fumble at LSU on Sept. 10, where he also was credited with his first tackle with JSU…had at least one tackle in eight games…set a career high for tackles in a game with two, on three occasions: against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 17, Eastern Illinois on Oct. 29 and at Murray State on Nov. 12.

PRIOR TO JSU: Spent two years at Auburn University where he redshirted in 2014 and only saw action in the Tigers’ season-opening game against Louisville in 2015.

HIGH SCHOOL: Prepped under Ashley Johnson at Vigor High School where he recorded 56 tackles, 17 TFL, 8 sacks as a senior…earned Offense-Defense All-American Bowl and Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game nods…selected to AL.com A-List and Coastal Alabama All-Region…also played soccer and ran track…rated the No. 5 defensive end and in the top 120 prospects by 247sports…Rivals rated him the No. 9 defensive end and in the top 130 overall prospects nationally…Scout rated him the No. 17 defensive end and in the top 150 overall prospects nationally…ESPN rated him the No. 15 defensive end and in the top 160 overall prospects…PrepStar rated him as a top 15 defensive end.

PERSONAL: Son of Zandra Thornton…has two brothers, William and D.C., and a sister, Regan.