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Arkansas logo
Class of 2027 · defensive lineman

Eli Thornton

6-3, 315 · Valley View · Jonesboro, AR

Committed to Arkansas since Apr 26

59offer strength · No. 1030
0.8633composite · 3-star
10offers · 8 power

His offers

10 offers · visited 5
Arkansas logoArkansas
SEC · strength 61
Committed
offered Mar 2
Illinois logoIllinois
Big Ten · strength 71
cold
official visit Apr 10
Wisconsin logoWisconsin
Big Ten · strength 74
cool
official visit May 29
Kansas State logoKansas State
Big 12 · strength 66
cool
official visit Jun 12
Mississippi State logoMississippi State
SEC · strength 67
cold
offered Feb 10
Wyoming logoWyoming
Mountain West · strength 46
cold
offered Jan 12
Show all 10 offersVanderbilt logoVanderbilt
SEC · strength 54
cold
offered Jan 26
Oklahoma State logoOklahoma State
Big 12 · strength 53
cool
official visit Jun 4
Purdue logoPurdue
Big Ten · strength 50
cold
offered Jan 25
Arkansas State logoArkansas State
Sun Belt · strength 15
cold
offered Jan 25
Best programs first, by what each offer is worth in our grade: program strength times how rarely that program offers (how it is made). Warm means an offer, visit or camp in the last 60 days or an official visit in the last 120; cool, contact in the last 180; cold, older or a decommit. A count is the offers on record, not every offer the staffs made.

Where he fits

best 3 of 10 offers
Best fits
Oklahoma State logoOklahoma State
Thin at defensive line (9 with 2+ years left); has started 2 defensive lines his size since 2022; 4 in their last year, so a spot opens for his first season
No. 1Illinois logoIllinois
Thin at defensive line (10 with 2+ years left); has started 2 defensive lines his size since 2022
No. 2Wisconsin logoWisconsin
Thin at defensive line (5 with 2+ years left); 1 in his last year, so a spot opens for his first season; has not started his size at defensive line since 2022
No. 3
Need (how thin the program is at his spot) x fit (whether it starts players his size) x room (who leaves after this season), and while he is uncommitted, STM odds. How it is made. Not advice, and never a dollar figure.
Where his size starts

184 of the 1,993 FBS starters at edge rusher and interior defender since 2022 were his size (6-2 to 6-4, 293 to 337 pounds): most in the SEC (38), Big Ten (29) and Big 12 (28). Programs that start it most: Oregon (7), Southern Miss (6) and Cincinnati (5). Of his offers, Mississippi State (4), Kansas State (3), Illinois (2) and Vanderbilt (2) have started it.

Who needs him

Of his 10 offers, Wisconsin has the thinnest room at defensive line: 5 with 2+ years left of 10, 1 in his last year, 19 portal exits in 3 seasons, 6 commits this cycle. Also thin there: Illinois and Oklahoma State.

Starter seasons 2022-2026: six or more games in one of the position's starting slots by volume (college snap counts are not public). How it is made. Room is 2+ years left plus 2027 commits at the spot against the 68 programs mapped (the power conferences and Notre Dame); exits are the 2024-2026 portal feeds. How it is made.

Boards that looked like his

0 of 10 drafted
Tennessee logoDanny O'Brien
Class of 2012 · DT · signed Tennessee
11 offers; Thornton had 10; both about 6-3, 300
Not drafted
match 78
Florida logoSharrif Floyd
Class of 2010 · SDE · signed Florida
12 offers; Thornton had 10; both about 6-3, 310
Not drafted
match 76
Arkansas logoCalvin Barnett
Class of 2010 · DT · signed Arkansas
Both offered by Arkansas and Oklahoma State; both about 6-3, 330
Not drafted
match 74
Auburn logoJeffrey Whitaker
Class of 2010 · DT · signed Auburn
8 offers; Thornton had 10; both about 6-3, 310
Not drafted
match 73
John AtkinsJohn Atkins
Class of 2012 · DT · signed Georgia
9 offers; Thornton had 10; both about 6-3, 305
Not drafted
match 71
Show all 10
Sylvester WilliamsSylvester Williams
Class of 2011 · DT · signed North Carolina
Both offered by Kansas State and Oklahoma State; both about 6-3, 300
Not drafted
match 70
Johnathon Hankins
Class of 2010 · DT · signing not on record
10 offers; Thornton had 10; both about 6-3, 325
Not drafted
match 70
Texas A&M logoJonathan Mathis
Class of 2010 · DT · signed Texas A&M
Both offered by Kansas State and Arkansas; 6-3, 292
Not drafted
match 70
Damien Jacobs
Class of 2010 · DT · signing not on record
11 offers; Thornton had 10; 6-3, 294
Not drafted
match 69
South Carolina logoPhillip Dukes
Class of 2011 · DT · signed South Carolina
8 offers; Thornton had 10; 6-3, 295
Not drafted
match 67
Past recruits whose offer boards looked most like his: same position, about the same size, offers from programs of the same strength, about as many. Past boards are offers at signing day; his is the board he holds today (Nov 2, 2026). Classes 2016 to 2026 are thin in our record today, so most matches come from 2010 to 2015. 10 of these 10 have finished their draft window. History, not a forecast for him.

Timeline

17 dated moves since Jan 12, 2026
Arkansas logoOfficial visit ArkansasJun 19
Kansas State logoOfficial visit Kansas StateJun 12
Oklahoma State logoOfficial visit Oklahoma StateJun 4
Wisconsin logoOfficial visit WisconsinMay 29
Arkansas logoCommitted ArkansasApr 26
Illinois logoOfficial visit IllinoisApr 10
Illinois logoOffered IllinoisMar 10
Arkansas logoOffered ArkansasMar 2
Show all 17 moves
Kansas State logoOffered Kansas StateMar 2
Mississippi State logoOffered Mississippi StateFeb 10
Oklahoma State logoOffered Oklahoma StateFeb 2
Kentucky logoJunior day KentuckyJan 31
Vanderbilt logoOffered VanderbiltJan 26
Arkansas State logoOffered Arkansas StateJan 25
Purdue logoOffered PurdueJan 25
Wisconsin logoOffered WisconsinJan 24
Wyoming logoOffered WyomingJan 12
Newest first, from recruit posts and the national recruiting data. An offer with no posted date sits in the offers list only.
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