Even though the Buckeyes lost two premier linebackers to the NFL, they still have outstanding talent at that position.
The Buckeyes return veterans Ross Homan and Austin Spitler, who hope to fill the void left by James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman.
To go along with their returning talent at linebacker, OSU recruited four more guys who also will try to pick up right where those Buckeye greats left off.
Jordan Whiting"It's one thing to be on the field - it's another thing to make a lot of tackles and make a lot of plays," said Steve Helwagen, managing editor for Bucknuts Media Network. "I think he's always around the ball. This is a guy that's got great instincts and can makes plays. We'll just have to wait and see how he kind of fits into the scheme."
The Buckeyes will hope that Whiting fits into their defensive scheme as well as he did at Trinity, where he recorded 103 tackles as a senior and was named First-Team AP All-Kentucky.
His ability to stop the run helped him compile 267 tackles during his high school career, leading his team in tackles for three straight seasons.
The fact that Whiting is capable of recording so many tackles is a tribute to his style of play and the intensity he brings to the football field.
"He's certainly not afraid to go up there and stick his nose into the play, and that's what people really liked about him at the start," said Jeff Svoboda, staff writer for Buckeye Sports Bulletin.
At 6 foot and 230 pounds, Whiting's ability to pursue the football creates difficulties for opposing teams that hand the ball off a lot. However, he says he still needs to sharpen other parts of his game before he plays at the college level.
"When it comes to the physical part, of course I have to constantly get faster, not only up and down movement but also laterally," Whiting said. "My pass coverage - I want to improve on that."
Whiting was the first 2009 recruit to make the decision to become a Buckeye by verbally committing in September 2007; however, Svoboda thinks that his early decision took the media spotlight away from him.
"He kind of got lost in the shuffle a little bit, especially with some of the other linebackers they brought in," Svoboda said.
Regardless if the spotlight is on him, Whiting is ready for what lies ahead.
"I just feel like a lot people have expectations," Whiting said, "I just want to let everyone know that I'm going to live up to those expectations no matter how hard it's going to be."
Drew Sullivan can be reached at sullivan.462@osu.edu.
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