Ohio State's defensive line corps received a huge boost for next season.
Junior defensive end Jack Sawyer announced he'll stay at Ohio State for another season on Friday, allowing the Buckeyes to retain a key starter on their defense.
Im back. #ReloadtheClip pic.twitter.com/71X2z5dtnc
— Jack Sawyer (@jacksawyer33) January 5, 2024
Sawyer started all 13 games for Ohio State this season, racking up 48 total tackles (10 for loss) with 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He closed out the season particularly strong, recording a combined 7.5 tackles for loss with five sacks in Ohio State’s final three against Minnesota, Michigan and Missouri.
In his three-year career with the Buckeyes, Sawyer has registered 83 total tackles (19.5 for loss) with 14 sacks, three pass deflections and three forced fumbles in 31 games, appearing in every game in the 2022 and 2023 seasons and six games as a freshman in 2021. Along with J.T. Tuimoloau, Sawyer was one of the crown jewels of Ohio State's 2021 recruiting class on defense, as the five-star prospect was considered the fifth-best player and the third-ranked defensive lineman in the country per 247Sports' composite rankings.
He believes he still has more to prove in his career at Ohio State, though, as the Pickerington North graduate wants to earn his first pair of Gold Pants and help the Buckeyes contend for a national championship next season.
“I think a lot of us all are on the same page about we don't want to end our Ohio State careers like this,” Sawyer said after Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri, in which he recorded three sacks. “Two tough losses. We all love it here. We love Coach Day. We love the staff. And sometimes unfortunate things happen and you don't get the outcome you want, and I think it's going to play a big factor in our decisions.”
As a senior, Sawyer will help lead a defensive end room that also returns Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Mitchell Melton and Joshua Mickens. The Buckeyes also added five-star and No. 26 overall prospect Eddrick Houston in the class of 2024.
Fellow junior defensive end JT Tuimoloau has not yet announced whether he will enter the 2024 NFL draft or return for his senior season.
Sawyer is one of four key upperclassmen from Ohio State’s 2023 defense who have now confirmed they will return for the 2024 season along with defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, linebacker Cody Simon and safety Lathan Ransom.
Draft-eligible defensive players who have not yet announced draft decisions include Tuimoloau, defensive tackle Ty Hamilton and cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock.
Defensive tackle Mike Hall and linebacker Steele Chambers have confirmed they will enter the 2024 NFL draft while linebacker Tommy Eichenberg has accepted a Senior Bowl invitation and safety Josh Proctor has exhausted his eligibility.
