Corey Thornton

Corey Thornton (born January 30, 2001) is an American professional football cornerback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights and Louisville Cardinals and was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2025.

Early life Thornton is from Miami, Florida. He attended Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami where he played football, helping them win the state 4A championship in 2019. A three-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the UCF Knights. In 60 games played at UCF and Louisville, he finished with 177 tackles, six interceptions and 33 pass breakups.

Professional career

After going unselected in the 2025 NFL draft, Thornton signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent. Thornton suffered a broken fibula in Week 12 against the San Francisco 49ers, and was placed on injured reserve on November 26, 2025.

On August 30, 2026, Thornton was waived by the Panthers as part of final roster cuts and signed to the practice squad the next day.