A.J. Hampton, a rising senior cornerback at Wharton High School, has verbally committed to play football at the University of Toledo, a Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) program. A consensus three-star prospect, Hampton (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) is ranked among the state’s top 150 players for the 2018 recruiting class per 247Sports.
Hampton also fielded scholarship offers from Marshall University, University of Nebraska, North Dakota State University and University of South Florida, among others.
One of Hampton’s high school teammates, offensive lineman Lavel Dumont, is also a Toledo commit. Toledo running backs coach Marquell Blackwell was the primary recruiter for the Wharton High duo. Blackwell, a former USF quarterback, coached at Freedom High School in Tampa from 2006 to 2008.
Besides football, Hampton is a track star. He finished fourth in the 400 meters at the Class 4A state meet last spring, running a personal-best 48.98.
Other local athlete commitments
- Carrollwood Day School senior Jack Pironti has committed to play soccer at Wesleyan University, a Division III program in Middletown, Connecticut. Pironti, a forward, tallied 13 goals and 31 points in nearly 700 minutes of action last season. He’s played varsity soccer since the seventh grade at Carrollwood Day.
- Pasco High School junior Garrett Hester has committed to play baseball at the University of Alabama, a Division I program. As a sophomore, last season, the 6-foot-1 lefthander posted a 2.45 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 48.2 innings. Also, a standout hitter, Hester batted .361 with three doubles and 12 RBIs.
