During the recruiting process, Sarasota, Fla. defensive end Walter Dublin was struck by the atmosphere and family feel of Ohio State -- so much so that he ended up leaving the confines of the only home he's known and headed North to Columbus.

Dublin, a 6-foot-3, 230-pounder in high school, felt at home at Ohio State, so it's kind of funny that just a few weeks into his time as a Buckeye he's already missing home -- but only a little bit.

"There's no home cooking," Dublin said with a chuckle. "I'm so used to my mom. Her fried chicken, I love it. You can't get anything like it up here."

Dublin played predominantly at rush end for Sarasota, and did well enough to gain the attention of Clemson and Virginia Tech, in addition to Ohio State.

But he always favored the Big Ten style of physical football, and felt Ohio State was unmatched in opportunity.

The excitement that goes with being a Buckeye is tangible for Dublin, even though he has ye to set foot on the Ohio Stadium field.

"You can only experience it so much until you're wearing your uniform," Dublin said. "It hasn't really clicked yet. I'm waiting for that one moment in practice or picture day or when I put my helmet on.It will happen, I'm sure."

Thus far, Dublin has been sticking to his gameplan of class and working out, but he's also found time to bond with a few of his fellow classmates.

"Overall we're pretty close as a class," Dublin said. "There are some guys I spend more time with –- Grant Schwartz is my roommate. He's really fun to hang out with. Mark Johnson, another Cali boy, we get along pretty well. Antonio Henton, we hang out with him. Real nice kid, well mannered."

A typical day for Dublin consists of waking up early and heading off to 7:30 a.m. study table. Then it's off to History of Music at 9:30. That ends around 11:30, at which point he grabs a quick bite and heads over to the football compound to work out. Dublin finishes his day by heading to his 3 p.m. Art class, which runs until 4:30.

"I'm pretty artsy, and I'm trying to broaden my horizons," Dublin said. "I write a lot of poetry, actually. Other than the length of time you're in class I like the actually classes."

Dublin is beginning to get his feet underneath him, which should help when fall camp opens on Aug. 5.

The coaching staff is planning on using Dublin much the same way it used Bobby Carpenter -- sometimes as a stand-up linebacker and sometimes as a hand-on-the-ground defensive end. Dublin has played both positions in high school so the transition may be minimal.

There is one thing that will take getting used to, however -- playing with jersey No. 94.

"I wore 93 in high school and wanted that, but it was taken," said Dublin, who has bulked up to 248 pounds. "It's a funny story, but I played with 94 in my junior year. My coach lost my away jersey, so when we went on the road I played with 94. Did I play better with that number than with 93? I played about the same, but for media reasons you can say I played better."

The move from Florida to Ohio was much easier than Dublin thought, and he's beginning to feel like a real native.

"It actually went quite smoothly," he said. "I was expecting that I'd miss home a lot, but everybody here has been nicer than I've expected. Other than missing my family, there's been nothing bad about being here."

Dublin is especially excited about the Buckeyes Sept. 2 season-opener against Northern Illinois, and by then he'll have an idea of whether or not he'll get on to the field.

In the meantime he keeps himself under control, even as the season gets closer.

"It's getting pretty exciting -- what is it, 56 days away or something?" Dublin said. "When I got up here it seemed like we had a long way to go, but now it feels like it's just around the corner. I can't wait because this is why you come to Ohio State.

"I want to prove to myself and to others that I have what it takes to play here, and I'm doing my part every day to get better. It's been fun so far, so I can only imagine what it will be like when we run out of that tunnel for the first time and see the crowd and all. I'm ready for it."