Jack Sawyer’s return bringing credibility to Buckeyes’ defensive line
Ohio State defensive lineman Jack Sawyer (33) lines up before a play during the fourth quarter against Iowa Saturday October 22, 2022 at Ohio Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s no mystery that he’s a menace off the edge, and his decision to return to Ohio State for a senior season is building some hype for the defensive line.
After all, Jack Sawyer is a former five-star prospect, who’s coming off an All-Big Ten campaign and preparing to build on his legacy in Columbus. He was even the first player to tell Coach Ryan Day about his intentions to return, and convinced several of his teammates to follow suit.
That’s because Sawyer strongly believes the Buckeyes have unfinished business, and is eager to leave the program with a Big Ten Title and National Championship. And why not, when the team is full of talent, plus there’s an All-Big Ten caliber player at every level of Jim Knowles’ defense.
Sawyer will be anchoring the big boys up front, and is playing alongside JT Tuimoloau again, which spells bad news for opposing offensive lines. The six-foot-five, 260-pounder knows how to wreak havoc, and takes pride in making quarterbacks eat grass. Sawyer strongly believes this year’s squad is in position to take the Big Ten by storm, and make some noise in the new 12-team Playoffs.
“Every team in College Football would love to be in the position we’re in, with the team we got, the coaching staff that’s in place and the expectations,” Sawyer said. “Because when you have high expectations, that means you’re relevant.”
Ohio State was the No. 1 team in the Big Ten Preseason Media Poll earlier this week, and Sawyer understands what comes with the territory of walking that thin line. The Buckeyes have a huge bullseye on their jerseys because of it, and will get every opponent’s best. However, that doesn’t bother Sawyer, and it’s a big reason why he chose to come back. The Ohio native appreciates the national recognition, but knows it can’t become a team distraction.
“We don’t try to pay too much attention to it, we know what’s at stake,” he said. “We know what our goals for this season are, and we bust our butts everyday to reach those goals.”
Sawyer left a lasting impression when he posted three sacks in the bowl game against Missouri. Having that type of domination against a quality SEC opponent helps his NFL Draft stock, and the fans want him to build off that performance. Sawyer is completely comfortable in Knowles’ scheme heading into year three, and knows it like the back of his hand. That should help with communication, and Sawyer is all about making others around him better.
“Going into our third season we feel that much more confident, we know the system more and we know what to expect out of Coach Knowles on certain situations,” the 22-year old said. “So I think the mixture of those things are going to help us play faster, more free and lead to bigger plays being made.”
Last year Ohio State finished third nationally in total defense, including 27th against the run. Sawyer feels this defense can top those numbers if everyone stays focused on the task at hand, and take it all one game at a time. That’s going to require leadership from him, and he wants his return to mean something. With 79 career tackles, including 16.5 for loss and 11 sacks, Sawyer is due for an All-American campaign. Most importantly, he wants to put the team first, and make history.
“Being able to etch our names in the legacy here if we win a National Championship, and beat those guys up north, will be kind of a collective group effort.”
