2025 Season Opener Countdown: 31 Days to Go

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 31 for the Carolina Panthers.

Current Player: Corey Thornton

Thornton (6’1”, 195 lbs) is a rookie corner out of Louisville. He began his career at UCF, spending four seasons in Orlando and providing solid production from the corner position. He then transferred to Louisville for his final season of eligibility. Thornton was not expected to start for the Cardinals, but his play forced the coaches hands very early on. He played all 13 games, starting 12 of them. Thornton was an excellent piece opposite Quincy Riley, a fourth round pick of the New Orleans Saints in this year’s draft. Thornton’s ball skills, which helped him notch two interceptions and nine pass deflections, earned him an All-ACC Honorable Mention.

After not being selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, Thornton signed a contract with the Panthers. Thornton has reportedly been quite impressive in camp so far, and he’ll likely get plenty of snaps in the preseason. If he plays well enough, he could potentially land on the opening day roster. However, the practice squad is a more realistic goal at this point for the undrafted rookie.

Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 31: Juston Burris, Charles Tillman, Richard Marshall

Burris is the quintessential “oh yeah, he did play here” player. He spent the final three seasons of his career in Carolina, originally as a starting safety. Fans fondly remember the time Peanut Tillman was on the squad, though I was surprised that he only spent the 2015 Super Bowl season with the team. His impact was felt for much longer than that, I suppose, as he taught a bunch of young guys the Peanut Punch. Marshall was a second round pick for the Panthers in 2006. He was a depth guy to begin with but became a starter in his last couple seasons with the team. Marshall’s five years in Carolina were productive, nabbing 14 interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns) and notching five sacks, an impressive number for a corner.