Philip Walton pulls the trigger
It seemed like it might only be a matter of time before offensive tackle Philip Walton of Charlotte Christian might verbally commit to NC State.
That happened Tuesday afternoon, the same day that Walton was on campus to visit. He confirmed his decision via text message. Walton had previously told The Wolfpacker that he would be checking out NC State's agricultural school while there.
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Sometimes God just blesses us by placing the right decision right in our laps. I am beyond happy to say that I committed to NC State today!— Philip Walton (@bigphil_walton) April 1, 2014
Walton is the Pack's second verbal commitment, joining three-star athlete Malik Douglas from Southport (N.C.) South Brunswick High. Douglas committed in February. Walton picked the Pack over an offer from Marshall.
The 6-foot-7, 260-pounder has a unique athletic background. Up until about three years ago Walton was a competitive swimmer, mainly doing freestyle sprints because of his size. Walton swam for about a decade before giving it up for football.
"It was pretty tough, but I fell in love with football when I started playing," Walton previously noted.
Since then, Walton has grown what he roughly estimated to be a few inches and about 100 pounds.
Charlotte Christian is set to have its fourth football player end up at NC State. This past year they had receiver Bo Hines and tight end Garrett Bradbury ink letters of intent with the Pack. Hines enrolled early and is participating in spring practices. Additionally, class of 2010 grad Ty Linton, a linebacker, enrolled in the spring as a preferred walk-on.
The Wolfpack may not be done, either. They have offered Christian center Brian Chaffin in the 2015 class and quarterback Austin Kendall in 2016. Additionally, they are recruiting several other underclassmen, most notably 2016 running back Elijah Deveaux.