A lot of the prevailing thoughts on Norton’s decisions centered around his roommate, fellow defensive tackle and early entry candidate R.J. McIntosh. Miami Head Coach Mark Richt said that Norton likely felt that it was time for him to become a Pro.
McIntosh also entered the NFL Draft following his Junior season. He was drafted in the fifth round by the New York Giants and Norton went in the seventh to the Carolina Panthers.
Some of the speculation is that Norton followed McIntosh’s lead. If Norton had returned for his Senior season some have thought that he did not want to deal with double teams.