Junior LB already serious about recruiting

Most highly-touted junior prospects are working on improving their stock and waiting to see what their options might be and they consider it too early to confront the serious questions that will inevitably have to be answered.

Charlotte (N.C.) Christian junior linebacker Ty Linton is already asking himself those difficult questions. He isn't ruling out an early decision, so he figures he might as well be serious about the process.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound linebacker has run the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and picked up an offer from Wisconsin earlier this fall.

"I have offers from Wisconsin and Miami of Ohio right now," he said. "(North) Carolina and Vanderbilt -- I've been talking to them. They're looking to come in and offer in a couple of weeks, I think."

With an offer from the Badgers on his mind, Linton is seriously considering the possibility of spending his college years in Big Ten country. That wouldn't be as big a change as one might imagine, as he grew up in the region.

"Wisconsin is probably my number one choice right now. They're in the Big Ten and I'm from the Chicago area. It's always been my dream to play in the Big Ten.

"I just want to see what schools decide to offer from down here. I'm not sure if I want to stay close to home or leave the area. I wouldn't mind playing for a North Carolina school."

Linton said he has latched onto the Tar Heels since his family moved to North Carolina. He has already been exposed to the UNC program briefly.

"I was actually at one of UNC's camps this past summer. I talked to coach Tommy Thigpen and they're interested in me. He said they're probably going to want to make an offer. I figure I'll just hold out and see what happens. I'll wait to see which in-state schools offer then probably make my decision.

"I wouldn't mind deciding soon at all. I think I'm going to make my decision before my senior year."

Linton will be at the U.S. Army All-American combine in early January. He plans on leaving for Texas the on December 26. Since he already has a major offer he said it is unlikely that he will attend camps or combines at any schools next year.

If he had to make his decision today, and both were options, would he choose Wisconsin or North Carolina?

"That's tough to say," he said. "It just comes down to whether I want to go up there and be that far from home. Playing in the Big Ten would be a really big accomplishment for me. Playing for a program up there is what I've always wanted to do, so it's a little bit of a factor. I really can't say one has an edge over the other, though. It would be a hard decision."