Syracuse pounces on Charlotte Christian LBs

You may already have heard of Charlotte Christian LB Ty Linton; after a strong junior year, he picked up another college offer on Wednesday, as Syracuse joined the club. Linton already had offers from Duke, West Virginia, Illinois and Wisconsin.

North Carolina was after him as well, but assistant coach Tommy Thigpen was Linton's recruiter, and he left the program for Auburn. Because of that move, now the Tigers are showing interest, said Charlotte Christian coach Jason Estep.

Linton, who is 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, played OLB as well as RB last season. He had 68 tackles--eight for losses--as well as 6.5 sacks. On offense, he contributed 1,200 all-purpose yards and had 12 TDs. He was the program's Most Valuable Player.

"He was our go-to guy on both sides of the ball," Estep said.

With his 4.49 speed in the 40-yard dash, Linton projects as an OLB in college. He is also a fine baseball centerfieder, and hopes to play both sports in college.

Syracuse, though, didn't stop with Linton. The Orange also offered a scholarship to his teammate and fellow OLB, Kelby Brown. Brown, also 6-2 and 200 pounds, was the team's defensive mvp. He totaled 84 tackles, eight for loss, along with a sack, two forced fumbles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown.

"Kelby can really play, but he's been flying under the radar a little bit," Estep said.