Randy

Charlton

Charlton (6'3/258) reportedly suffered the injury in Monday’s practice but is “doing well” according to a source who requested to stay anonymous. Charlton was reportedly carted off the field on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance after the incident and was not at practice on Tuesday. Heading into his second season with the Bulldogs, Charlton started 11 games last season after transferring from UCF, totaling 35 tackles and four sacks.

Charlton (6'3/258) started five games this year, recording 18 tackles and two sacks. The junior defensive end was kicked off the team in November due to an incident where he verbally harassed UCF police officers who arrested one of his teammates for driving without a license and possession of an unlicensed firearm. The former three-star recruit should make an immediate impact for the Bulldogs, as Charlton has registered 68 tackles, 12.5 TFL and 4.0 sacks in 26 games as a member of the Central Florida defense.

The Knights have a fair bit of work to do in reshaping their defensive front for the season, as DE Brendon Hayes is the team’s lone returning starter in that arena. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Charlton signed on with UCF as a three-star recruit last winter and immediately worked his way onto the field, ultimately appearing in 13 games with one start. In that space, the sophomore registered 21 tackles (3.0 for loss), a sack and two passes defensed. Beyond expected starters Hayes and Charlton, Tre’Mon Morris-Brash and Kalia Davis are names which could see rotational work at defensive end in the fall.

Charlton played in all 13 games for UCF last year, and the 6-foot-3, 258-pound defender finished with 21 tackles for the 13-1 Knights. “With three of the Knights’ startling lineman departing – along with standout backup tackle Trysten Hill – there’s production gap along the defensive front,” Hummer writes. Charlton is definitely a name to keep an eye on going forward.