Zach Boren, a linebacker from Pickerington Central, said yesterday that he committed to the Buckeyes' 2009 recruiting class. A little more than a week ago, his older brother, Justin, announced he was transferring from Michigan to Ohio State, where he will be eligible in 2009 after sitting out this coming season.

Taking it all in is their father, Mike. He played linebacker at Michigan for coach Bo Schembechler in the 1980s. He has taken flak from Wolverines boosters since Justin, who started 13 games last season as a sophomore at center or guard, left first-year Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

"It's been crazy," Mike Boren said. "With all that went on last week, it's been good and it's been bad, you know what I mean?

"Justin and I wouldn't give up him having those two years at Michigan for anything, but right now he is looking forward to having three great years at Ohio State. And Zach, he's looking forward to his senior season and then becoming a Buckeye."

Zach Boren is the 14th member of Ohio State's 2009 class. Several linebackers had committed already, including Dorian Bell, a Rivals.com five-star prospect from Monroeville, Pa., but Mike Boren thinks his son will hold his own.

"He's probably going to surprise a lot of people, but he's not going to surprise me," Mike Boren said. "You can't teach instinct, and he's got instinct. He's a naturally good player."

Recruiting analyst Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.com rates Zach Boren third among Ohio's linebacker prospects. Ahead of him are Storm Klein of Licking Valley, who has committed to OSU, and Will Studlien of Big Walnut. He has an offer from Illinois but not Ohio State.

But it's the Buckeyes who will have a Boren identity.

"If my brother was still at Michigan, the same thing would have happened today; I still would have picked Ohio State," Zach said. "I didn't see any reason to keep waiting when I knew Ohio State was where I wanted to spend the next four or five years of my life."