Fort Lauderdale native Omar Thornton returns home, bringing explosive playmaking and proven ACC talent to bolster the Miami Hurricanes' formidable defense.
As the Miami Hurricanes prepare to face the Indiana Hoosiers for the National Championship, the program's recruiting department continues to work overtime, with the transfer portal taking over the business side of the sport. It's an awkward calendar because it opened in the middle of the College Football Playoffs, but that's another discussion for another time. Meanwhile, the program earns its first transfer commitment from safety Omar Thornton.
The Fort Lauderdale native returns to familiar territory after spending two seasons with the Boston College Eagles, an ACC program, appearing in 23 games, making 111 total tackles, 77 solos and 34 assists, 11.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and five forced fumbles. He has two years remaining of eligibility and was considered one of the best defensive backs available on the open market.
It's worth noting that Thornton wasn't recruited by a powerhouse program coming out of American Heritage High School, but built his resume and earned tremendous respect.
Last year, the Hurricanes dominated the transfer portal, which included a couple of secondary redshirt senior players in cornerback Keionte Scott and safety Jakobe Thomas, both playing key roles in the College Football Playoffs, with each earning Defensive Player of the Game honors.
Thornton has an opportunity to keep the tradition alive and play alongside a couple of young, talented defenders in freshman Bryce Fitzgerald and redshirt sophomore Zechariah Poyser. Also, playing under defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, arguably one of the best leaders in college football, should be an extraordinary connection.
One of the unique qualities about the Hurricanes this season is the amount of homegrown talent breaking out, such as junior edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., senior linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, and freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney. Also, junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr., sophomore cornerback OJ Frederique Jr., and redshirt junior defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr., who are specifically from the Fort Lauderdale area.
Thornton is fast, strong, and makes excellent defensive plays. He's listed at 5-11, weighing 201 pounds, but performs beyond his frame. The best part for the Hurricanes is that there's room for improvement. Hetherman and Mario Cristobal can certainly help him tap into his tremendous potential.
The team's defense has made an incredible leap throughout the year, especially in the College Football Playoffs. Fitzgerald grabbed the game-sealing interceptions against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first round, followed by a pick-six from Scott in the quarterfinals against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Thornton falls into the perfect situation. The future continues to shine bright, but the present can be even more marvelous as the Hurricanes will host the Hoosiers at Hard Rock Stadium, though they are technically the visitors, in the National Championship game, on Monday night, Jan. 19th, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
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