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Southeast Missouri State football signee: Clarence Thornton

Name: Clarence Thornton

High School: Ridgeway (Memphis, Tenn.)

Position: Defensive line

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 290 pounds

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Southeast Missouri State was one of the first teams to present Ridgeway's Clarence Thornton with a football scholarship.

After the offensive lineman had verbally committed to play for the Redhawks a few months ago, he received some more interest from other schools but never veered off his track for Southeast.

Today he made it official with his National Letter of Intent.

"Things sped up here as of late; a lot of schools tried to come in on him, but he seemed pretty steadfast on SEMO," Ridgeway coach Duron Sutton said. "He felt the connection there with the coaching staff and we also have a former player that plays there as well, so he just got the family feel and he went with what he wanted to do."

That former Ridgeway player is tight end Marquette Murdock, who saw action in the final nine games of the season last year as a true freshman.

Thornton's connection with Murdock definitely didn't hurt the Redhawks' chances of adding Thornton to their roster.

"No doubt about it," Sutton said when asked if Thornton and Murdock had communicated throughout the recruiting process. "They've talked numerous times about the university and how the classes are there, how school is, how the social life is, how the team is, so he was well versed in what to expect before he even went on his visit. So it's just going to enhance it because he knows a little bit more through someone else that he respects and knows."

At 6-foot-3, 290-pound, Thornton made an impact at Ridgeway as an offensive tackle and offensive. It appears that SEMO coach Tom Matukewicz has slightly different plans for Thornton, with an eye toward shifting him to the other side of the ball on the defensive line.

The coaching staff will look for his size and mobility -- something that helped him as a high school offensive lineman -- to provide a boost at that position.

"He was one of the main anchors on our line," Sutton said. "He was able to finish blocks. He was able to just command his side. Whenever we needed a play to run behind on, we would run behind Clarence because we knew he would get the job done. He's a big kid with a lot of power and flexibility and speed. He just gave you everything you want in an offensive lineman to get the job done."

Sutton commended the Southeast coaching staff for keeping communication lines open throughout the recruiting process. He also commended Thornton for his character during his Roadrunners career.

"He's just a great kid," Sutton said. "He looks at life as an exciting time. He's always in the moment, he's never down. He's just a kid that is always seeing the best of things. As a player he's everything a coach could ask for -- a guy that's going to do everything you ask of him, he's not going to be in trouble in anyway. He is one of the first on the field, one of the last to leave. He's just one of those types of kids that's a coach's dream."

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