Top 60 Countdown: No. 34, Jordan Futch

New day, new player to focus on in our countdown of the Top 60 Canes. Today, we take a look at No. 34 on our list, sophomore linebacker Jordan Futch. The former Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna standout followed the footsteps of Jon Beason and Glenn Cook to The U. But who will he end up being more like: Beason who is playing for the Carolina Panthers, or Cook who is playing for the Chicago Cubs Rookie League in Arizona?

> What we heard about him on Signing Day '08: Futch was one of the very first players UM received a commitment from in it's 2008 class, someone who tried and help sell The U most of his senior year. Although his senior season was a bit rocky (he had an altercation with his coach), Futch still came to UM with plenty of praise. He was ranked the 67th best player overall regardless of position by Rivals.com, the nation's 15h best strongside linebacker by Scout.com and the 77th best player overall by ESPN. He picked the Canes over Auburn, West Virginia, Georgia and Louisville.

> What he's done as a Cane: Futch got five games into his freshman season before a head injury forced him out the rest of the season. He finished with three tackles after playing mostly on special teams. This spring, he worked at both outside linebackers positions and ran with the first team during the spring game alongside Darryl Sharpton and Sean Spence.

> What Eye On The U expects from him in '09: The first thing you notice about the 6-2, 215-pound Futch is his size, personality and smarts. Testing-wise, his spring numbers didn't compare well to fellow sophomore linebackers Ramon Buchanon (No. 28 on our list) or Sean Spence. But what Futch lacks physically, he makes up for with instinct and the ability to be in the right places. This season, all Hurricanes coaches are hoping for is for Futch to mature more and put himself in position next year to replace seniors like Sharpton and Colin McCarthy in the starting lineup. If he can rack up 25-30 tackles in spot situations, then his sophomore season should be considered a success.