Ohio State's Baker declares for draft
1/8/2018COLUMBUS — Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker announced he will declare for the NFL draft.
Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker announced he will not return in 2018.
Baker announced Monday he would skip his senior season at OSU and enter the draft immediately.
“After a considerable amount of time and endless conversation with my loved ones, I have decided to forego my senior year at The Ohio State University to pursue my childhood dream of playing professional football,” Baker wrote in a Twitter post.
Baker led the team with 72 tackles in 2017, and including a 16-tackle performance in Ohio State’s Big Ten championship game victory against Wisconsin.
For everything! pic.twitter.com/KOSQ4LhwHl
— Jerome Baker Jr. (@Lastname_Baker) January 8, 2018
He became the third Ohio State player to leave school early this season, joining cornerback Denzel Ward and defensive end Sam Hubbard.
The Buckeyes now will have to replace two of the their starting linebackers. Fellow outside linebacker Chris Worley, a senior, played his final game for OSU at the Cotton Bowl.
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The rest of Ohio State’s eligible players have until Jan. 15 to decide if they will enter the draft or return to school.
Contact Nicholas Piotrowicz at: npiotrowicz@theblade.com, 419-724-6110, or on Twitter @NickPiotrowicz