Post-OSU Update: Jerome Baker left Ohio State after his true junior season for the NFL Draft. Baker was selected 73rd overall (3rd round) by the Miami Dolphins. Baker is currently in his sixth season with the Fins, mostly serving as a starter. He has over 20 career sacks and close to 600 career tackles as of this writing. (updated: Jan. 2024)

Major: Undeclared (2016)

Jersey #: 17 (2016-17), 4 (2015)

Weight: 225 (2016-17), 215 (2015)

2017 Media Guide: Jerome Baker is a true junior and a two-year letterwinner with 12 starts among the 20 consecutive games he has played as a Buckeye … he has 86 career tackles with 9.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

2016: Baker became a starter the second week of the season and played so well that he never came off the bench again, finishing the season with 12 consecutive starts … he was second on the team in tackles with 83, in TFLs with 9.5 and he earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and the media … he intercepted passes against Oklahoma – a 68-yard touchdown return – and against Michigan … also had seven tackles, including 1.5 TFLs, against the Sooners and was named Big Ten defensive player of the week … 15 tackles vs. Michigan, coupled with the 16 stops made by Raekwon McMillan that game, marked just third time multiple Buckeyes have topped 15 tackles in a win over the Wolverines (Arnold Jones had 24, Rick Middleton 17 and Randy Gradishar 15 in 1972; and Marcus Marek had 16 and Glenn Cobb 15 in 1981).

2016 Media Guide: Jerome Baker earned his first Varsity “O” letter last season as a true freshman … he played in the final seven games of the season for the Buckeyes and was in on 90 total plays … he will wear jersey number 17 this year after sporting No. 4 last season … he is exploring majors.

High School: Jerome Baker was a Top 10 linebacker prospect nationally whose last high school game was a state championship game win over Kettering Alter, 21-14, in Ohio Stadium … Baker scored twice, including the winning score early in the fourth quarter, to cap a 14-1 season and give St. Benedictine its seventh state title and coach Joe Schaefer state crowns as a Bengal player (2003) and coach … Baker also had 11 stops on defense to earn game MVP honors … his outstanding senior season included being named first-team Division IV all-state by the Associated Press and earning co-defensive player of
the year honors … called an “absolute force from his linebacker spot on defense” and “one of the most disruptive players in the state,” Baker was a consensus 4-star prospect who was ranked as the No. 41 player nationally by Rivals and the No. 67 player on the ESPN 300 … earned impressive outside linebacker ratings by Rivals (No. 4) and Scout (No. 10) … a U.S. Army All-American, Baker was used sparingly on offense as a senior but still finished with 3,065 career rushing yards.