Brett Ludwiczak
Guest
Player to Watch: Jack Sawyer has unfinished business to handle at Ohio State
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
The senior defensive end is looking to build off a strong finish to the 2023 season.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Akron.
Better late than never. Prior to arriving at Ohio State, there was plenty of hype surrounding defensive end Jack Sawyer. The Pickerington North product was a five-star prospect coming out of high school and the top recruit in Ohio in the 2021 recruiting class. When J.T. Tuimoloau announced he was coming to Ohio State in July 2021, Buckeye fans were salivating over the combination of defensive ends they would see on the field over the next few years.
After seeing what stars like Joey Bosa and Chase Young were able to do on the field early on in their Ohio State careers, expectations might have been set a little bit high for Sawyer. Many were expecting Sawyer to step on the field and have an immediate impact, which didn’t happen. Some of the early struggles for Sawyer can be blamed on knocking some rust off, as he sat out his senior season at Pickerington North as a precaution due to COVID-19. Sawyer still had a few moments as a freshman, finishing with three sacks, but his season did end on a sour note, as he was ejected from the 2022 Rose Bowl after he was flagged for targeting Utah quarterback Cam Rising.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25554592/1362285459.jpg "Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Venture X - Ohio State v Utah")
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Heading into his sophomore season, there was an expectation that Sawyer would have a better season since he now had a year of college football under his belt and understood what was expected of him. Unfortunately for Sawyer, he wasn’t very productive in the first season in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ system. In 2022, Sawyer finished with 4.5 sacks in a season that ended with a heartbreaking 42-41 loss to Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal. While J.T. Tuimoloau’s performance against Penn State earlier in the season was lauded, many were wondering if Sawyer was going to be one of those blue-chip prospects that wasn’t going to hit.
Early on in the 2023 season, it looked like it was more of the same from Sawyer, who would notch a few tackles but wasn’t getting to the quarterback consistently. Then in the second half of 2023, something started to click for Sawyer. Against Wisconsin, Sawyer recorded a career-high six tackles, a total which he would match against Minnesota and Michigan. Against Minnesota, Sawyer also had 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Then after recording a sack against Michigan, Sawyer was about the only Buckeye that looked like they cared in the Cotton Bowl, finishing the game with three sacks against Missouri.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25554590/1903204409.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 29 Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Missouri vs Ohio State")
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After finishing his junior season with 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles, Sawyer was named to the all-Big Ten second team by the media. With such a strong finish to the season, there was speculation Sawyer might opt to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Along with a number of his teammates who also were contemplating turning pro, Sawyer decided to return to Ohio State for one more season. This year’s Buckeye defense will see Sawyer, Tuimoloau, and cornerback Denzel Burke as the key returning players.
So why did Sawyer decide to come back to Ohio State for one more season? The answer is simple. Sawyer feels like he has let Ryan Day and the city of Columbus down because the team has lost three straight years to Michigan. The Buckeyes certainly have had the talent to contend for a national title over the last three years, but they have lost the only CFP game they appeared in during that span. This year the CFP expands to 12 teams, but Sawyer and the Buckeyes won’t be satisfied by just making the playoff and winning a game or two. They feel like they have the talent and coaching staff that can win it all, and anything other than winning a national championship this year will be considered a failure.
There’s no doubt Sawyer is going to leave it all out on the field this year in his final season as a Buckeye. While his career in the scarlet and gray started slower than many were anticipating, Buckeye Nation was able to see just how disruptive Sawyer can be when he is at his best. What makes seeing what Sawyer is able to do on the field this year even more intriguing is he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder because it is obvious how badly he not only wants to beat Michigan, but also wants to silence the doubters of head coach Ryan Day. Expect Sawyer to be one of the best defensive ends in college football this year because he still knows he has a lot to prove and accomplish before his time at Ohio State is finished.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
The senior defensive end is looking to build off a strong finish to the 2023 season.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Akron.
Better late than never. Prior to arriving at Ohio State, there was plenty of hype surrounding defensive end Jack Sawyer. The Pickerington North product was a five-star prospect coming out of high school and the top recruit in Ohio in the 2021 recruiting class. When J.T. Tuimoloau announced he was coming to Ohio State in July 2021, Buckeye fans were salivating over the combination of defensive ends they would see on the field over the next few years.
After seeing what stars like Joey Bosa and Chase Young were able to do on the field early on in their Ohio State careers, expectations might have been set a little bit high for Sawyer. Many were expecting Sawyer to step on the field and have an immediate impact, which didn’t happen. Some of the early struggles for Sawyer can be blamed on knocking some rust off, as he sat out his senior season at Pickerington North as a precaution due to COVID-19. Sawyer still had a few moments as a freshman, finishing with three sacks, but his season did end on a sour note, as he was ejected from the 2022 Rose Bowl after he was flagged for targeting Utah quarterback Cam Rising.
Heading into his sophomore season, there was an expectation that Sawyer would have a better season since he now had a year of college football under his belt and understood what was expected of him. Unfortunately for Sawyer, he wasn’t very productive in the first season in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ system. In 2022, Sawyer finished with 4.5 sacks in a season that ended with a heartbreaking 42-41 loss to Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal. While J.T. Tuimoloau’s performance against Penn State earlier in the season was lauded, many were wondering if Sawyer was going to be one of those blue-chip prospects that wasn’t going to hit.
Early on in the 2023 season, it looked like it was more of the same from Sawyer, who would notch a few tackles but wasn’t getting to the quarterback consistently. Then in the second half of 2023, something started to click for Sawyer. Against Wisconsin, Sawyer recorded a career-high six tackles, a total which he would match against Minnesota and Michigan. Against Minnesota, Sawyer also had 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Then after recording a sack against Michigan, Sawyer was about the only Buckeye that looked like they cared in the Cotton Bowl, finishing the game with three sacks against Missouri.
After finishing his junior season with 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles, Sawyer was named to the all-Big Ten second team by the media. With such a strong finish to the season, there was speculation Sawyer might opt to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Along with a number of his teammates who also were contemplating turning pro, Sawyer decided to return to Ohio State for one more season. This year’s Buckeye defense will see Sawyer, Tuimoloau, and cornerback Denzel Burke as the key returning players.
So why did Sawyer decide to come back to Ohio State for one more season? The answer is simple. Sawyer feels like he has let Ryan Day and the city of Columbus down because the team has lost three straight years to Michigan. The Buckeyes certainly have had the talent to contend for a national title over the last three years, but they have lost the only CFP game they appeared in during that span. This year the CFP expands to 12 teams, but Sawyer and the Buckeyes won’t be satisfied by just making the playoff and winning a game or two. They feel like they have the talent and coaching staff that can win it all, and anything other than winning a national championship this year will be considered a failure.
There’s no doubt Sawyer is going to leave it all out on the field this year in his final season as a Buckeye. While his career in the scarlet and gray started slower than many were anticipating, Buckeye Nation was able to see just how disruptive Sawyer can be when he is at his best. What makes seeing what Sawyer is able to do on the field this year even more intriguing is he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder because it is obvious how badly he not only wants to beat Michigan, but also wants to silence the doubters of head coach Ryan Day. Expect Sawyer to be one of the best defensive ends in college football this year because he still knows he has a lot to prove and accomplish before his time at Ohio State is finished.
Continue reading...