Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka and Jack Sawyer Will Represent Ohio State at 2024 Big Ten Media Days

By Dan Hope on July 11, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Denzel Burke, Jack Sawyer and Emeka Egbuka
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Ohio State is bringing three of its star seniors to Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days.

Cornerback Denzel Burke, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and defensive end Jack Sawyer will represent the Buckeyes at this year’s Big Ten Media Days, which will take place July 23-25 in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes’ three players and Ohio State coach Ryan Day are scheduled to meet with the media on Tuesday, July 23, the first day of the event, which has been extended to three days this year to accommodate the Big Ten’s four new teams.

It’s no surprise that those three Buckeyes were chosen to represent Ohio State at Media Days after all three of them chose to stay at OSU for their senior seasons even though they were projected as early-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft. All three of them are expected to be among the best players in the country at their respective positions this season and will be key leaders for the Buckeyes in their quest to win Big Ten and national championships.

Burke, who is entering his fourth year as an Ohio State starter, was already one of the best cornerbacks in college football last year. He earned first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American honors in 2023 as the star of the nation’s No. 1 pass defense, which allowed just 145.9 passing yards per game.

Egbuka, a top-10 receiver in the FBS with 1,151 receiving yards in 2022 before an injury-plagued 2023 season, is set to be the leader of Ohio State’s receiving corps this year following Marvin Harrison Jr.’s departure for the NFL. While Egbuka has been overshadowed a bit this offseason by the hype surrounding freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, Big Ten Media Days will be an opportunity for Ohio State to shine the spotlight back on Egbuka and promote him as one of the nation’s top playmakers.

Sawyer, who played a leading role in bringing many of the Buckeyes’ upperclassmen together to stay at Ohio State for another season, enters 2024 as a prime candidate to be a team captain and perhaps the Buckeyes’ “Block 0” recipient. The Pickerington native looks to build off a strong finish to the 2023 season, as he recorded 7.5 tackles for loss in Ohio State’s final three games of the year, and establish himself as one of college football’s most dominant defensive ends.

Ohio State will be one of six schools who participate in the first day of Big Ten Media Days on July 23 along with Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin. Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, UCLA and USC will participate in their media day sessions on Wednesday, July 24. Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington will conclude the festivities on Thursday, July 25.

The full list of players attending media days – three from each school – can be found on the Big Ten’s official website.

Stay tuned with Eleven Warriors for coverage from all three days of Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis later this month. Big Ten Network will also televise coverage of the event.

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