Major: Business (2006)

Weight: 244 (2006), 231 (2005)

2006 Media Guide: Lettered in 2005 as a true freshman … gradually worked his way up the depth chart to the No. 2 spot behind senior Bobby Carpenter on the strong side … played almost the entire Michigan game after Carpenter suffered a broken ankle on the first play of that contest … started the bowl game against Notre Dame and heads into fall as the projected starter at Carpenter’s vacated spot … has added 10 pounds and has significantly increased his strength since last year … is a smart football player with excellent speed and has a very bright future with the Buckeyes.

2005: Played in all 12 games and had nine total tackles … his lone tackle at Michigan came on the final play of the game and helped preserve OSU’s 25-21 win at Ann Arbor … two tackles at Minnesota (his home state) was his top effort of the year statistically.

High School: Named Minnesota’s Defensive Mr. Football as a senior … rated the 28th-best inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com … ranked the top linebacker and No. 4 overall prospect in the state of Minnesota by Rivals.com … timed at 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash … collected 193 tackles, including 28 for loss, as a senior after totaling more than 160 tackles as a junior … led Wayzata to the Minnesota 5A state championship game as a senior … added five quarterback sacks and seven QB hurries as a senior … is the first scholarship player from Minnesota to play for the Buckeyes since Sid Gillman (1930-33, captain in 1933) … also a hockey standout and was elected team captain of the squad as a senior … played for Brad Anderson.

Personal: Is the son of Joe and Julie Laurinaitis … father was a popular professional wrestler in the 1980s and 1990s known at “the Animal.”