The hype train for Jack Sawyer has been filling up quickly. As a high school player at Pickerington North, Sawyer became a five-star prospect and the country’s third-best strongside defensive end in the 2021 class, per the 247Sports Composite. His commitment to Ohio State in February of 2019 meant instant comparisons to former Scarlet and Gray stars of the same position such as the Bosa brothers and Chase Young.
Throughout his first spring as a Buckeye after enrolling early in January, the freshman impressed. Sawyer performed well enough at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center that defensive line coach Larry Johnson referred to Sawyer as “a special player” earlier this month and that, assuming he continues his development, Ohio State was “going to find a role for him” as a freshman next fall.
On Saturday, Buckeye fans finally got to see Sawyer in action. While it was just in a spring game, the defensive end got everyone’s attention with his first performance in a scarlet and gray uniform at Ohio Stadium.
“He is off to a great start for sure,” head coach Ryan Day said of Sawyer after the spring game. “He’s just earning more and more reps, he’s working his way up the depth chart. I think across the board, our D-line was solid this year. We have some good depth there. But Jack, in particular, came in with a lot of confidence and he’s made a lot of plays.”
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