GRAND FORKS, ND – When the call “Next Man Up” came, Brody Thornton answered the call and stepped up.

The 2025 Menomonie High School graduate started the first three games of the season for the FCS NCAA Division I University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks on the defensive edge after All-American and team captain Lance Rucker injured his foot in practice six days before the season opener in August. Rucker is expected to return sometime in October.

North Dakota head coach Eric Schmidt expressed confidence in Thornton and since then, the 6-5, 245-pound sophomore has filled the gap.

“(Brody) is a very intelligent football player,” Schmidt told the Grand Forks Herald in August. “I’m excited for him to to be able to go out there and showcase what he’s all about. We’re not going to ask him to be Lance. We’re just asking him to be Brody. The future is very, very bright for him.”

And Thornton has been showcasing his talents – especially in the sixth-ranked Fighting Hawks’ 47-23 romp at Portland State Sept. 12. Thornton led the team in tackles-for-loss (3.0 for 16 yards) including an 11-yard strip-sack in the fourth quarter that led to a score to give UND a 47-16 lead. On the night. Thornton finished with six tackles – four solo – three tackles-for-loss, a sack and a fumble forced.

For the season, Thornton has eight tackles – six solo – a team-high 4.0 tackles-for-loss of 21 yards, one sack and one fumble forced.

Going into last Saturday’s game against Big 10 opponent Nebraska, the Fighting Hawks were ranked sixth in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Top 25 poll and were 3-0 overall.

During his freshman season, Thornton appeared in five games as a reserve edge, recording three total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. He made his collegiate debut against Valparaiso and his first collegiate tackle and recorded a tackle for loss against Indiana State. Thornton added two tackles, including a half tackle for loss, in the NCAA FCS Playoff Second Round game at Tarleton State.

Thornton was a three-time letter winner at Menomonie, earning All-Region, All-Northwestern and first team All-Big Rivers as a senior. He was a second team BRC pick at linebacker as a junior.

Menomonie Collegians is a regular feature of Menomonie News Net. The column is not limited to student-athletes, but may be a former Menomonie area student in a play, forensics, music or any type of collegiate competition. If you know of a Menomonie Collegian, please email [email protected].

The column “Menomonie Collegians” by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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