With the impending graduation of the tremendous linebacking duo of Nick Bellore and Matt Berning, Central Michigan coach Dan Enos continues to stockpile potential replacements.

The Chippewas had a trio of heralded linebackers in Enos' first recruiting class as head coach, nabbing Dearborn's speedy Nores Fradi to go along with a pair of local tackling machines, Novi Detroit Catholic Central's Mike Kinville and Birmingham Brother Rice's Justin Cherocci. All three finished their prep careers last weekend as participants in the MHSFCA All Star game.

CMU also picked up a commitment a week ago from linebacker Cody Lopez from Plainfield (Ill.) North HS.

To those four, the Chippewas have now added a top recruit at the position for 2011 in Tim Hamilton, Cherocci's teammate at Brother Rice. Hamilton gave the Chippewas a verbal commitment on Monday, according to Rivals.com.

The senior-to-be is a 6-foot-1, 247-pound inside linebacker, ranked No. 21 on Rivals.com's preseason list of 2011 prospects in Michigan. Rated a three-star prospect, Hamilton is just the third-ranked linebacker on the website's list, behind five-star MSU recruit Lawrence Thomas of Detroit Renaissance and uncommitted three-star LB Ed Davis of Detroit Southeastern.

Hamilton picked CMU's offer over those of Western Michigan, Illinois State and Miami (Ohio). He'd also gotten some interest from Big Ten schools like U-M, Illinois and Iowa, and BCS schools like Cincinnati, UConn and Syracuse.

He should fit right in with the Chippewas, who have stocked up on linebackers from the Metro Detroit area over the past few years. Behind the senior duo of Berning and Bellore (a Lombardi watch-list member), CMU also has redshirt freshman Shamari Benton (Brother Rice) and true juniors Landon Carter (Birmingham Groves) and Mike Petrucci (Milford) in the linebacking corps, while Troy's Will Schwarz, now a defensive end, is a converted 'backer.