It's official; Linton to North Carolina

It’s done; Charlotte Christian linebacker Ty Linton is a Tar Heel.

Well, not signed and sealed, but Linton has committed to play football at North Carolina and calls his decision a strong one, according to his coach, Jason Estep.

“It wasn’t a tough decision for him,” Estep said a few minutes ago. “I always told Ty to go where he feels not liked, but loved. He felt that way about North Carolina.”

Linton, one of the school’s trio of BCS school-recruited LBs, had more than a dozen offers, but said recently he had narrowed his top five to Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia and West Virginia, along with UNC.

An outstanding center fielder in baseball, he has been told by the North Carolina coaches that he can play both sports in Chapel Hill, something he really wants to do.

“He’s really good at both sports,” Estep said. “He’s going to get drafted for baseball next year, and that may throw another element into all this. He’s a safe bet to go in the top ten rounds, maybe even in the top five.”

Linton, who is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, is a power hitter who is batting over .400.

The recruiting focus on Linton had exploded in recent months.

“More and more people saw what he can do; his athleticism and speed,” Estep said. “That's so important in the college game today. If they want him to play immediately, I feel he can do that. If he needs to wait awhile, he can do that as well.”

Linton has remarkable 4.49 speed in the 40-yard dash, and projects as an outside linebacker in college.

"The thing I love about him is the way he competes," said Estep. "If you ask him to run through a wall, he'll go through it at 100 miles an hour."

Linton is the Tar Heels’ second commitment. --Stan Olson