By Patrick Weider
College Football talk today is largely about NIL, and the transfer portal. Both make up the discussion around players in College Football, but his article is about a different type of player. This is about Ohio State Senior Jack Sawyer. Sawyer could have easily gone pro last year and been an NFL Draft pick, but he decided to return to college and do two things: 1st beat Michigan and 2nd to win the National Championship. The 1st goal did not happen after Ohio State beat Michigan 13-10 to finish the regular season. Still, the 2nd goal is within reach when the Buckeyes play Notre Dame for the National Title on January 20th. Below is the story of Jack Sawyer.
The Start of his career
Jack Sawyer was a 5-star recruit out of Pickerington North High School, a suburb of Columbus and a quick 25-30 drive to the Ohio State campus. Jack Sawyer was an early commit in the 2021 recruiting class, being the 1st commit to the Buckeye class as he impressed the Ohio State coaching staff when he attended a camp and got an offer from defensive line coach Larry Johnson and Urban Meyer. He committed four months later to the Buckeyes.
Being a 5-star prospect can be difficult because everyone expects you to be great initially and sometimes it takes time. Sawyer came in with the tough task of being compared to Joey and Nick Bosa, two former 5-star prospects who excelled as Buckeyes and both were high 1st round picks in the NFL. He initially played some during his freshman year in 2021 but finally started his next year in 2022. Sawyer had a solid year for the Buckeyes, posting 4.5 sacks. The next year, 2023 was supposed to be a breakout year for Sawyer and while he did play better (6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles), he still was not reaching the level that most Buckeye fans expected. This season has been better, but he still has not reached his potential, until these College Football Playoffs.
The Heart Break
There is no doubt Jack Sawyer and his 2021 recruiting class have had a ton of tough losses. Members of the 2021 class, ranked second in the country, including Sawyer, Emeka Egbuka, and J.T. Tuimoloau have never beaten Michigan, going 0-4. They have also lost to Georgia in the CFB playoffs in 2022, and Oregon this year. Both of those losses were by one point. The 2021 class has been largely defined by these losses and they’ve stayed at Ohio State to avenge them.
For a player like Sawyer, the Michigan losses have been hard on him. It culminated when Michigan players at the end of the game planted a flag in the middle of the field, Sawyer and several of his teammates were not happy about it. So led by Sawyer, Ohio State players ripped down the flag and it almost led to a brawl between both teams, as police had to tear gas the players. The moment showed that Sawyer cared deeply about the loss, even though he received a ton of criticism for his actions during that incident. That moment seemed to be a rallying cry for the Buckeyes as they responded to win three straight playoff wins.
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The Playoff Run
Again, the expectations for Jack Sawyer have been high since he is a former 5-star prospect. This season he has largely played well but has picked it up during the playoff run.
Against Tennessee, he was all over the field, as Sawyer had five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. He and his teammates held a talented Tennessee team to 17 points on the evening. Then having a re-match against Oregon Sawyer showed up in a big way. He had 2 sacks and 2 pass breakups in the game, helping hold Oregon to -23 yards rushing in the game. Against Texas, he played well all night, and with the game on the line, he made the biggest play of his career. He stripped sacked Quinn Ewers and returned it 85 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. It was one of the most incredible plays in Ohio State history. When his team needed a play Sawyer delivered.
Of Sawyer’s nine sacks in 2024, 4.5 have come from the three playoff games. So have all seven of his pass breakups, one of three forced and recovered fumbles, and one of his two touchdowns
BUCKEYE LEGEND, JACK SAWYER!
— Ohio State Football Fan Page (@OhioStFootball) January 11, 2025
One last hurrah for Sawyer
Jack Sawyer and the talented 2021 class will play one more game and it will be against Notre Dame for the National Championship. It is fitting that it is against Notre Dame because those are two of the biggest wins the 2021 class has achieved playing them in the last two years. Ohio State will be heavy favorites when they play Notre Dame, but Jack Sawyer and company will be ready to finish their career on top. I would not count Jack Sawyer from pulling this off to finish his career his legendary career on top.
