Quick Hits: Jack Sawyer Says Cotton Bowl “Means A Lot to Us,” Emeka Egbuka Calls Devin Brown a “Great Field General” and Cody Simon Feels He More to Prove at Ohio State

On Tuesday, quarterback Devin Brown, wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Xavier Johnson, cornerback Denzel Burke, defensive linemen Jack Sawyer and Tyleik Williams, offensive linemen Donovan Jackson and Josh Fryar, linebacker Cody Simon, cornerback Jordan Hancock and safety Sonny Styles met with reporters on the indoor practice field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Among the many topics discussed, Sawyer explained that the Cotton Bowl “means a lot” for the Buckeyes. Egbuka called Brown a “great passer” and “great field general,” Jackson shared that Ohio State wants to end the year “on a good note” and Simon said he has plenty left to accomplish as a Buckeye after announcing his return to the program in 2024.

RELATED Six Ohio State Juniors Say They’ll Play in the Cotton Bowl but Remain Undecided on NFL Draft Future

Videos of the media sessions from the 11 players, as well as bullet-point recaps of what each person said can be found below.

QB Devin Brown

• Brown said he was surprised when he heard Kyle McCord was entering the transfer portal. “It definitely caught me off-guard, I wasn’t expecting anything. So it was definitely a shock.” Brown said he wishes McCord all the best and considers McCord one of his closest friends. “I hope he goes and does big things.”
• Brown said he is fully recovered from the ankle injury he suffered against Penn State. “I’m back to doing everything. I don’t have any issues with anything.”
• On Lincoln Kienholz: “Lincoln’s trying to get himself better every day. He’s a really good athlete, and he’s doing everything he can just as I am to be the starter. So he’s going to keep working. We’ve been together in the film room and in the weight room together, so it’s good to compete still.”
• On the opportunity to make his first start against Missouri: “I can’t believe my first start’s going to be in the Cotton Bowl. It’s a big stage against a really good team. It’s a top-10 matchup. And I’m just excited to go out there and show what I can do.”
• Brown said he’s given no thought to transferring even if Ohio State brings another quarterback in. “My focus is on being the starting quarterback at Ohio State. I’ve never cared about who was in the room or anybody that was coming.”
• Brown said the competition with McCord leading up to the season was “very back-and-forth” and “really could have gone either way, and a lot of guys would agree to that.” He thinks the biggest things he’s improved upon since the start of the season is “being more consistent with my plays and understanding what’s really going on with the plays.”
• On the intense expectations as Ohio State’s quarterback: “That’s why you come here is to be at the top of the pedestal and be in front of all these eyes. That’s what Ohio State is. So there’s going to be both sides, good or bad, and that’s just kind of the nature of it. But at the end of the day, it truly doesn’t matter what other people’s opinions are of you. All that matters is what your team thinks and what you feel.”

RELATED Devin Brown Excited to “Show What I Can Do” as Ohio State’s Starting Quarterback in Cotton Bowl

WR Emeka Egbuka

• Egbuka said he is “for sure” playing in the Cotton Bowl. “I think it’s important to end off the season on the right note, with a win against a really good team, and I’m excited to have another chance to be on the field with my brothers.”
• He said he is “totally undecided” on whether he will enter the 2024 NFL draft.
• Egbuka said the team has been “really focused” on preparing for Missouri. “We know they’re a good team. “We’ve been locked in, we’ve been moving forward.”
• Egbuka said it hurts to see McCord leave Ohio State, but that McCord is one of his best friends and he’s excited for his future. “He’s gonna have an amazing future. He’s a competitor. Wherever he goes, he’s gonna make a direct impact.”
• On Devin Brown: “We always knew he’s been ready. Even when Kyle was injured or stuff like that, if Devin had to come in, we knew he was going to get the job done.”
• On Lincoln Kienholz: “Lincoln is a young guy who has a lot of talent, and once he combines experience with that and he starts to learn the game a little more, he’s going to be something really special, too.”
• On Devin Brown vs. Kyle McCord: “I’m not bashing Kyle but something that Devin has that he doesn’t is a little bit more mobility … Devin really has a knack for extending the play after it’s broken down.”
• On Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss: “We have huge hopes for both of those guys. Zone 6 is a very touted position room, and I feel like they’re going to continue to carry on the tradition … They’re going to have their coming-out party eventually, and they’re both very special players.”
• Egbuka said he felt like there should have been other Ohio State wide receivers invited to the Heisman ceremony before Marvin Harrison Jr. He says it’s huge for the unit that Harrison was able to win the Biletnikoff Award and be a Heisman finalist.
• On Brown: “He’s a great passer. He’s a great improviser, a great field general. He’s someone who provides the offense with a lot of energy, which is huge for that position. And he has a cannon, too.”

CB Denzel Burke

• Burke confirmed that he will play in the Cotton Bowl but is “50/50” on whether to stay another year or go to the NFL draft after this season.
• On making the draft decision: “A lot of factors are playing into it. It’s probably one of the hardest decisions of my life, and come January, I’m going to make that decision.”
• On the importance of the bowl game: “It’s really important for us. We want to finish this season and have something to show for it. Our job is just to go out there, have fun and compete and win the game.”
• Burke is “pretty sure” that everyone will play for the Buckeyes against Missouri.
• Burke said he hopes for nothing but the best for Ohio State’s players who have entered the transfer portal. “You’ve got to do what’s best for yourself, your future and your family.”
• On Missouri: “Solid team. A lot of 10 personnel, a lot of 11 personnel, they’re getting a lot of explosives. They’ve got a pretty good group of receivers, it should be a fun game. Go out there and match up and just do what we do.”
• Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III, a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the best pass catcher in college football, will be one of the top matchups for Ohio State’s secondary and Burke is excited for the challenge. “He can play. He’s a football player for sure. He can play ball.”

DE Jack Sawyer

• Sawyer didn’t leave any doubt whether he’d play in the Cotton Bowl. “Absolutely.”
• His NFL draft future is still undecided, however, as with many of his teammates. “I think a lot of us are trying to navigate that right now and I think a lot of us are close to making a decision and announcing it. I think here in the next couple of weeks you’ll see a lot of guys’ decisions on what the future holds.”
• On when the 2021 recruiting class decided as a collective that they – or at the very least of them – would be playing in the bowl game: “It happened immediately once we knew where we were going. We don’t know what a lot of guys are going to do after this year. In case some guys leave or whoever leaves, we want to send guys out the right way and play together one last time and give it all we’ve got.”
• On his feelings following the Michigan loss: “I’d be lying to you if I told you I don’t think about it a lot. When you work all year for one game and you fall short, that’s tough. Especially when it’s three years in a row.”
• While an 11-1 season and New Year’s Six bowl berth would be seen as a successful season by most programs, Sawyer understands that that’s not the case at Ohio State when a team loses to Michigan. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s what we signed up for.”
• On whether the Buckeyes have to work through not having as many players who grew up in the rivalry like Sawyer, who is from Columbus: “Guys like myself and Ty Hamilton and Sonny and Lorenzo (Styles) who grew up in Columbus, we naturally feel it a little more. I can remember being a kid in fifth grade and wearing a Buckeyes jersey to school and talking trash with some kids who may be a Team Up North fan. ... But we do a great job of (working the rivalry) and everyone on the team knows how much this game means.”
• Sawyer considers Kyle McCord a close, personal friend and felt for him as he experienced some adversity and outside noise this year. “You’re expected to throw for 4,000 yards, 50 touchdowns, it’s a lot of pressure. Especially when you’re a first-time starter and you’re playing on a bad wheel. ... I know Kyle is going to have success wherever he goes and I wish him nothing but the best.”
• On people saying that the Cotton Bowl is “meaningless” for Ohio State: “Pardon my French, but I think that’s kind of bullshit. This game means a lot to us and to the fans, it’s an opportunity to go out there and play and put our best foot forward and show the world who we really are.”

DT Tyleik Williams

• Williams confirmed that he will play in the Cotton Bowl but has not yet decided if he will enter the NFL draft. “I think I know where I am at right now. Still, another game to show more. I just gotta talk to my family and coaches and see what can happen next year. That will ultimately factor into my decision.”
• On what could impact his decision to return to Ohio State for a fourth season: “How many of my brothers are coming back? What can we do next year? Who are we bringing in? Things like that.”
• Williams said Kyle McCord “told a couple of guys in the locker room” that he was going to enter the transfer portal before Dec. 4. Williams said he respects McCord and the decision he made. “He was gonna make his own decision. You can’t change that.”
• On where he improved from 2022 to 2023: “I think I have become more mature, and in every aspect of the game, I think I’ve improved. Of course, there’s more to improve on, but I think I made a big leap this year.”
• We worked so hard for this season. Why not end it on a good note? We don’t want to end it on a loss. Last year, we ended on a loss. We’re playing a good team, but I think we have enough here to go down there and compete with those guys. We don’t want to end it on a bad note for next season – whether you’re coming back or not. It’s good motivation for next year.”
• “I think Coach J is gonna be back,” Williams said when asked if defensive line coach Larry Johnson will be at Ohio State next season. Williams said Johnson’s presence would “definitely” factor into his decision on whether to return to the Buckeyes or enter the NFL draft. “But I think he ain’t going nowhere.”

OG Donovan Jackson

• Jackson confirmed that he will play in the Cotton Bowl but has not yet decided if he will enter the NFL draft. “I want to end the year off on a good note. The season is longer than a lot of people think. The offseason is hard on a lot of people, then camp, then going through the season. You rock with these guys for so long. The 2023 Buckeyes will never be the same after this year. I want to rock with the guys I’ve been with for a long time. It’s ‘The Brotherhood’ for a reason.”
• A native of Bellaire, Texas, and graduate of Episcopal High School, Jackson said another reason he’s excited to play in the Cotton Bowl is because he’s “heard the bowl is in a really cool state.” Jackson said he plans to have 12+ friends and family attend the game. “I’m excited. It’s a great bowl game, a great opportunity to end the season on the right note against a fantastic opponent. It’s gonna be a game.”
• Jackson said his performance in Ohio State’s final drive of the Michigan game is what stands out to him about the Buckeyes’ loss to Michigan. “Personally, I did not play well on that last drive. … I’ve replayed (those moments) for a very long time a couple of times. I had to get pulled out of my room by my roommate Zen (Michalski). He was like, ‘C’mon, man. You gotta get out of your room, do something, look at the sun for a while.’ But all you can do is learn from it, move on from it and try to grow from it. … Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for you.”
• “We have a great opportunity to go out there one more time and play Ohio State football.”
• On the development of Ohio State’s offensive line in the regular season: “I’m proud of the O-line and how we progressed every week. I felt like we got better every week in terms of running the ball and putting hats on hats. It sucks that it ended the way it did (against Michigan), but we gotta watch the film on it, grow from it and keep going from there.”
• Jackson said he and other members of Ohio State’s class of 2021 have talked about whether or not they will play in the Cotton Bowl and what their futures look like in 2024 and beyond. “At the end of the day, everyone has their own path. Everyone has their own responsibilities. Whatever the individual chooses, I’m gonna be happy and proud of them regardless.”
• On what he hopes to see from Devin Brown in the Cotton Bowl: “What he’s been doing – executing plays. He’s a very talented player. He got rolled up against (Penn State). He’s been trying to rehab and come back from that. He’s looking to execute plays. We’re looking to him to run the offense. He’s the leader we have to listen to. In the couple of practices we’ve had, he’s shown he has the qualities to be a good leader. … I’m looking forward to it.”
• Jackson said he is his own biggest critic and that his performance could have been better in the regular season. He said he is proud of the way he always “played hard” for the Buckeyes.

OT Josh Fryar

• Fryar said he found out about Kyle McCord deciding to transfer on Twitter. He said he was surprised and didn’t know what to think of it.
• On the transfer portal: “It’s kind of crazy. I think what Deion (Sanders) said, it’s kind of like free agency. It’s like who can get in the transfer portal and get the most NIL and go somewhere you’re gonna win. I don’t like it. That’s just my opinion.”
• On why he doesn’t like the transfer portal: “If you look at where I was, I started my fourth year here, and it took me time to start. And people want to go somewhere else and start right away. You have to earn it. You can’t just be given it. When people give it, it’s not as valuable as when I think of it. I was behind great players too so I learned from them and then I progressed through it and started. I got a little bit better throughout the season.”
• On if he has conversations with younger players about sticking it out: “Yeah. The guy that pops in my head is Josh Myers when he told me ‘Don’t leave here.’ Even if you don’t play, you’ll get great connections through Ohio State. That’ll boost whatever you want to do in your life.”
• On if there was a temptation for him to leave earlier in his career: “Yeah, there was. I’d say probably when I tore my ACL and coach Frye was coming in. But I grew during that time and became a better person out of it stepping away from football. Staying has made me understand more about life in general.”
• Fryar said the conversation with Myers in the COVID year and said he told him to stick it out, which he’s used to learn more about himself and appreciate everything more in his time with the Buckeyes.
• On how he felt he played this year: “I felt like I’ve grown then I regressed just a little bit. The team up north wasn’t a very good game for me. It was hard with the silent count. That’s the one thing I think I have to improve on is the silent count going forward. Other than that, people will say I’ve allowed sacks and whatnot, and yeah, that’s your first year. Everybody’s allowed a sack or two, even Joe Thomas. It makes me learn from it and grow as well when that happens.”

LB Cody Simon

• Simon said he believes Missouri is a “really good team” and is impressed by running back Cody Schrader. “We need to make sure we’re on all of our P’s and Q’s stopping the run because I think that’s where the strength of their team comes from.”
• Simon said he will return to Ohio State for another season. “It was a lot of decision-making with my family, but I’m happy with it. There’s a lot that goes into it, like wanting to complete the goals you set for yourself. There’s a lot of team goals that I want to still complete and we haven’t done a great job of completing them the past couple of years. I want to beat the team up north and win a Big Ten championship. So I think it’s a lot of unfinished business and something I want to complete.”
• On what steps the defense needs to take to get better: “The message is always kind of the same. It’s all about the details. There’s always plays we want back so we’ll work as hard as we can to figure out the mistakes we’ve made and become more lights out on defense.”
• On where he felt he thrived this season: “I think playing my role as well as I can. There were a lot of times called on me to fill a role and make a difference in the game. I think my ability to step in and contribute and make plays for the defense helped the success of the team. I’m thankful the coaches wanted me to be in that position.
• Simon said he made his decision to return to OSU last week after talking with his coaches and his family. “I felt like it was the right decision. There was a part of me that wanted to go and explore what the NFL has to offer, but it was the right decision to use all the time you can because you never get these years back.”

CB Jordan Hancock

• Hancock confirmed that he will play in the Cotton Bowl but has not yet decided if he will enter the NFL draft. “I will see how this game goes and go from there.”
• On Ohio State’s motivation to win the Cotton Bowl vs. Missouri: “The motivation is (that) we got to win this game. We got to have something to show for at the end of the year. We had a great year. We can hold up a trophy to end the year in the bowl we will play in. We can get the young guys out there and get reps. This game is gonna be extremely important for us.”
• On his performance in the regular season: “I’m proud of myself for learning a whole new position, taking on run fits, tackling – everything. I really had to play every position in the secondary. It was a great year for me to learn. I would say my future will be bright learning different positions.”
• On the feedback he’s received from NFL scouts about his three-year career at Ohio State: “I can play every position. Position flexibility, that’s what the scouts like about me right now. I can play any position and guard anybody on the field. I can tackle. I’m just really learning the game, and I am excited for the future.”
• Hancock said his “experience is there” if he wanted to enter the NFL draft. Still, Hancock says a return to Ohio State would be about “the legacy I want to leave here.” Hancock says he remains “in-between” on his decision to either return for another season with the Buckeyes or become a professional. 
• On how losing The Game and missing out on the Big Ten championship weighs on him and Ohio State’s class of 2021: “It weighs a lot. It could be underwhelming coming in here with a great class – like, my class was outstanding. We have a lot of future players that will play on Sundays. We kind of want something to show for when we all graduate. We are all stuck in between. We’re talking to each other, communicating with each other. … We all want to win. Everyone’s situation is different, but we are all talking to each other.”
• On his future matchup with Missouri slot receiver Luther Burden III: “I’m looking forward to that matchup. He’s a great ballplayer. They have other receivers there, too, a good running back, a great quarterback. I’m excited to go out there and compete.”

S Sonny Styles

• Styles said he came to the facility the day after the Michigan game to watch it. He said it “hurts” to see plays he wishes he could have back.
• Styles said the team has to move on from the Michigan loss and focus on Missouri, who has “some really good players” on offense, including Luther Burden and Brady Cook.
• On Missouri playing 10 and 11 personnel: “There’s a lot of receivers on the field, a chance for explosive plays and receivers out of the backfield, stuff like that. You just have to keep studying them.”
• On how Devin Brown has reacted to Kyle McCord leaving: “The way it is at Ohio State, the next guy is going to step up. He’s shown leadership and is here for a reason. He’s capable.”
• On what he learned from the Michigan game: “I think that game just comes down to a few plays that kind of change the game. If you take a different angle or have your eyes here, so all those little things matter.”

WR Xavier Johnson

• On preparing to play his last game: “It means a lot. My time here and the time you put into anything when it finally comes to a close, in a lot of situations, you don’t know when that time will be. But for me having the foresight to know it’ll be the last step in the journey at Ohio State, I’ll be very pensive leading up to it and during it. I want to appreciate it the best I can. I think appreciating it means giving my best on that day.
• On refocusing after the Michigan loss: “I think it’s hard because we put a lot of work into it. A year’s worth of work goes into that. Coming up short has so much emotion invested into it, it’s hard. The mature group we have in the locker room can come back from it and have something to show for it at the end. Leading a group of guys who are willing and mature enough to take the next step and put the past behind us and to put our best foot forward. Leading a group of guys like that has been a blessing for me this year.”
• On what he’s seen from Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz: Both of them are taking reps and I think both show some playmaking ability. We’re confident in whichever guy coach Day gives the nod to, whoever goes forward we’ll be confident and we’re going out there to win the game.”
• On knowing a good chunk of his teammates aren’t opting out: “You know it’s a brotherhood at Ohio State, truly. So going out there with my guys and brothers one last time is exciting for me. Putting our best foot forward shows how much we care about each other, this team and this university.”
• On Devin Brown: “I think Devin has done a great job of leading with the opportunities given to him throughout the season. He’s being himself out there which is important. A lot of times you’ll see guys struggle if they try to emulate someone else. The next step in the maturation process for any quarterback who’s taken over the reins is being themselves in that role. I think you’ll see Devin be himself whenever he has the chance to lead.”