Payton Thorne
QUARTERBACK :: 6-2 :: 185Naperville, Illinois :: Naperville Central HS
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Top-ranked quarterback prospect in the state of Illinois by 247Sports and ESPN.com . . . ranked the No. 16 dual QB in the nation by 247Sports . . . listed among the best pocket passers in the nation by ESPN.com (No. 44) . . . rated one of the best overall players in Illinois by 247Sports (No. 11) and ESPN.com (No. 28) . . . in three varsity seasons, including his sophomore year at Metea Valley before transferring to Naperville Central, passed for 7,008 yards and 83 TDs, and also rushed for 1,035 yards and 14 TDs . . . in just two seasons at Naperville Central under Coach Mike Stine, became the career leader in completions (342), passing yards (5,367) and touchdowns (65) . . . named the 2018 Illinois Offensive Player of the Year by USA TODAY . . . also named the 2018 Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year and the Naperville Sun Player of the Year . . . received the DuPage Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award . . . first-team All-IHSFCA Class 8 selection . . . chosen to USA TODAY’s All-USA Illinois First Team . . . threw for 3,113 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior to lead Naperville Central to the second round of the Class 8A playoffs . . . also ran for 451 yards and four scores . . . the RedHawks averaged 37 points a game as Thorne accounted for 44 total TDs . . . also plays basketball and baseball . . . son of Jeff and Joanna Thorne . . . comes from football bloodlines, as his grandfather, John, coached at Wheaton Central High School and Wheaton-Warrenville South High School before spending 13 seasons at Division III North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, and is in the North Central College Athletics Hall of Fame after transforming the program into a national contender; during John’s tenure, the Cardinals recorded 118 victories, won eight straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships from 2006 to 2013, and made eight appearances in the NCAA Division III Football Championship . . . Payton’s father, Jeff, was the offensive coordinator at North Central beginning in 2002, was promoted to assistant head coach in 2010, and took over the North Central program in 2015 following John’s retirement and has been equally successful, compiling a 38-8 record in four seasons as the head coach, including three CCIW titles and three appearances in the Division III playoffs . . . Jeff also played collegiately as a quarterback at Eastern Illinois.
DANTONIO ON THORNE:
“Payton Thorne really makes all the throws: the intermediate throws, bubbles, slants, down-the-field throws. He has great timing as a playmaker and great leadership qualities. It’s impressive that his dad, Jeff, is a college coach, and his grandfather, John, was a college coach. He grew up with his father as a college coach (at North Central College). I think Payton has got very good football awareness and sense. When you see him play, he has the ability to run, and can get out of problems.”
QUARTERBACKS COACH BRAD SALEM ON THORNE:
“Payton is a playmaker at quarterback. He has great accuracy and had a very productive high school career.”
The newest member of the gunslingers. High hopes for QB @payton15thorne #SpartanRe19n pic.twitter.com/JRe9wP0Tue
— Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) December 19, 2018
2019 Spartan Signing Day Central