Ambition brought Antwon Higgs to West Lafayette a semester early.

The important thing is both freshman linebackers are on campus. In the fall, they'll probably be on the field.

During spring ball to date, Higgs has been seeing snaps with the first- and second-team defenses at strong-side linebacker.

"I would expect Antwon to play next year, absolutely," Coach Danny Hope said. "We need him. We need his ability. He is a good player and he loves football."

The 6-foot-3, 250-or-so-pound Higgs graduated early from Pompano Beach High School in Florida, hoping to prepare himself quickly to play as a true freshman. He struggled, as most do, with winter conditioning to begin with.

"I was ready to die, man," Higgs joked. But he quickly got used to it and has excelled on the practice field this spring, by all accounts.

"It's mostly just terminology (I have to learn)," Higgs said. "It's mostly the same kind of defense I was taught in high school, just with some more blitzes and things.

"That's what the coaches like about me, I think. I think I'm learning really fast." Because of it, Higgs looks like he'll be in position to play come September.

"It's exactly what I hoped for," Higgs said.

Excerpts from story " Rookie linebackers on the fast track" written April 8th by Brian Neubert