Unlike most recruits, Stephenson defensive tackle Mike Thornton waited until National Signing Day to let the nation know where he had decided to go to college.

"I really wasn't much into letting the recruiting take me over during my senior season because I knew that we had bigger plans than that as a high school team and I would deal with the college situation when that time had come," Thornton said. "As a senior, I put everything I had into practicing and everything I had into playing on Friday nights. I put recruiting kind of on the back [burner], but I always knew in my mind what I wanted out of a school."

Throughout the process, media outlets and message boards on the Internet characterized Thornton as waffling through his decision and being passive. In reality, Thornton was the most involved in his recruitment -- even leaving his parents out of most of the stress of answering phone calls, e-mails and letters.

"Getting 10 to 12 to 13 voice mails every night from different coaches calling back and forth while I'm on the phone with other coaches got crazy sometimes," Thornton said. "But that's part of the game, and that's part of getting an edge on a player and makes sure that a player is there and that you care for them.

"I, basically, handled all the recruiting myself. I didn't want to put too much strain on my parents. So, they just told me to keep my head right and respect everyone that I came into contact with."

With the signing of fellow five-star recruit, Warner Robins defensive tackle Jeff Whitaker, with Auburn, the Bulldogs' depth chart appeared to be much more open. Combined with the signing of Southwest DeKalb defensive end T.J. Stripling, DeKalb sent two top recruits who could see heavy playing time from the beginning at Georgia.

While the depth chart at Georgia and playing time were significant factors in Thornton's decision to choose Georgia over Penn State, Kentucky, Auburn and Miami (Fla.), Thornton considered other factors in choosing to go to school in Athens.

"Great academics, a great town for me to be in, playing time and a good, stable coaching situation," Thornton said of the other deciding factors for choosing his school.

Along with continuing to be close to his family and being able to attend a school with an improving academic attitude, Thornton was interested in the stability that Georgia provided. Despite former Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez being fired, Georgia kept its key staff members in Thornton's mind --head coach Mark Richt and recruiting coordinator/defensive line coach Rodney Garner. It also made a strong addition in the hiring of former Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Todd Grantham as defensive coordinator, Thornton said.

Grantham will bring his 3-4 defense from the NFL over to the SEC. While Thornton played defensive tackle at Stephenson, his size (6-foot-2, 280 pounds) is somewhat small compared to the typical nose guard in a 3-4 scheme. However, Thornton is not concerned with the notions of his critics.

"Well, there's a lot of guys that people doubt, and I'm one of those guys that people doubt," Thornton said of his critics. "I'm going to shine no matter what kind of system I play in because I can make changes.

"I basically played in a 3-4 [at Stephenson]. We played a 4-3 under defense, and they usually slid me over the center. So, I feel like I can do it for Georgia and make a huge impact at the nose tackle or defensive end positions. Wherever they need me, that's where I'll play."