Getting recruited as a high school athlete by Division I programs brings with it a wide range of emotions as Elizabeth Forward defensive end Chase Whatton is quickly learning.
Feelings can range from being excited, anxious, nervous, happy and motivated.
Whatton has felt all of those things as his college recruitment has started to take shape. Over the last month, Whatton has received offers from Buffalo, UMass, Toledo, Penn, Bowling Green, Yale with his most recent offers coming from Army and Ball State.
“Honestly, the process has been a bit overwhelming but everyone has been helping me trying to tell me not to get overwhelmed with it,” Whatton told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “It’s been fun but yet crazy too. I never thought all this would be happening.”
“It seems like every time I go on Twitter, I have a new message from a coach. We’ll message each other and they’ll tell me how the staff likes my film and he’ll tell me to call him. Right then, I know I’m about to get an offer because every coach that’s asked me to call them has offered. Before I call them, I got a real nervousness in my stomach but then it’s ok.”
The fact that he’s getting D-I interest humbles Whatton (6-foot-4, 233 pounds) but doesn’t necessarily surprise him considering his breakout junior season at Elizabeth Forward, where he was named First Team All-Conference and All-State at defensive end.
“My coaches were telling me to just be patient because the offers would come and I believed in them because they’ve helped me a lot with everything,” said Whatton. “I did expect to get some offers because of my season this year. All the coaches I’ve talked to tell me that they love my frame, my aggressiveness and my quick burst off the ball.”
Despite his recruitment has really just getting started, Whatton has a timeframe in mind that he might want to make a decision but that could get impacted by what he calls his dream school.
“I think I want to commit before my senior season. I think that would be smart just because I don’t want to lose an offer because they might get someone else, you just never know,” said Whatton. “I might want to wait a bit because Pitt is interested and they’re my dream school. If they could come through that would be amazing. I would like to commit before the end of summer.”
Dream school? That’s a pretty big statement, but Pitt has been a team that Whatton has followed and rooted for his entire life.
“If they would offer, I would be like, ‘wow,'” he said. “I’d be like, I got the offer, now all I have to do is commit. Honestly, if they would offer, I would commit pretty quick because they’re my dream school.”
We’ll see if this dream ends up happening for the talented defensive end. By the way, Whatton tells me that he recently received an invitation to the Pat Narduzzi Senior Camp this summer.
Go Chase Go Man…..!