New Orleans LB on the move
The top programs in the ACC and SEC are being targeted by one of Louisiana's
top defensive players.
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New Orleans'
Wharton says he's hearing regularly from Clemson, Florida State, Florida
and Miami, among other schools.
"I grew up an FSU fan," said the 5-foot-11, 215-pound
linebacker from Brother Martin High School. "I've always considered them my
favorite team," adding that he and his father attended the 2000 Sugar Bowl
national championship between the Seminoles and Virginia Tech.
Clemson may be a co-leader atop his list.
"I like them a lot. I really like the coaching staff,"
he said. "The main thing I'm looking for is a team that has a good defense,
tradition, and a coaching staff that can help me get better, push me to another
level as a player."
Wharton is already doing quite well in that regard. As a
junior, he recorded 70 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks in Brother
Martin's 4-3 scheme.
"I definitely want to go somewhere that plays the 4-3,"
he said. "I want to play middle linebacker."
To go along with his impressive physical tools (4.52
forty, 385 bench), Wharton considers one of his strengths being "a student of
the game." His father, Charles, played at Southern University in the 1980s and
has spent a considerable amount of time teaching him the nuances of the game.
That also shows up off the field where Wharton maintains a 2.95 GPA and has
scored a 19 on the ACT.
This summer he hopes to attend camp at Florida State and
may also visit Nicholls State.