Jack Sawyer (born May 6, 2002) is an American college football defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes.[1]

Early life

Sawyer was born on May 6, 2002, in Columbus, Ohio. He grew up in Pickerington, Ohio, and attended Pickerington High School North, where he played basketball and football.[2] He was rated a five-star recruit and the best collegiate prospect in the 2021 class by ESPN. After making the school's varsity football team as a backup tight end, he was moved to defensive end and finished the season with 58 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.[3] Sawyer committed to play college football at Ohio State shortly after his sophomore season, when he recorded 62 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and six sacks.[4] He choose the Buckeyes over offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Oklahoma.[5][6]

Due to injuries, Sawyer took over as the Panthers' starting quarterback during his junior season.[7] He completed 79 of 135 passes for 1,056 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 386 yards and six touchdowns and was named the Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division Defensive Player of the Year after recording 13.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss before suffering a torn MCL in the state playoffs.[8] Sawyer opted not to play in his senior football season due to uncertainties surrounding Covid-19.[9]

College career

Sawyer enrolled at Ohio State a semester early.[10] He won the Rose Bowl in 2022 with the team, but was ejected during the game for targeting Utah quarterback Cameron Rising.[11][12] During his senior season, Sawyer's participation in a post-game brawl after Ohio State's 13-10 upset loss to the Michigan Wolverines football team despite having been 20 point home field favorites captured media attention. [13]

Sawyer in 2023.

In the 2025 Cotton Bowl, Sawyer returned a fumble touchdown in the fourth quarter after a strip-sack of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, which ultimately sealed the victory for the Buckeyes as they advanced to the national championship. Sawyer was named the game's defensive MVP.[14] Sawyer and Ohio State finished the season by winning the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship against Notre Dame.[15]

Personal life

Sawyer is the son of Lyle and Michelle Sawyer.[16] Sawyer is a Christian.[17]

References

  1. ^ Breiler, Chris (December 3, 2024). "Jack Sawyer's words come back to haunt him after fourth consecutive loss to Michigan". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Holbrock, Justin (September 13, 2023). "Pickerington's Jack Sawyer gets comfortable in new role at Ohio State". NBC4 WCMH-TV. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  3. ^ Bielik, Tom (April 12, 2018). "Who is Jack Sawyer, the Pickerington North freshman who got a rare offer from Ohio State?". Cleveland.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "Pickerington North defensive end Jack Sawyer rated among nations best". The Columbus Dispatch. August 30, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Landis, Bill (February 3, 2019). "Jack Sawyer, Ohio's No. 1 prospect, becomes Ohio State's first 2021 commitment: What it means". The Athletic. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Ohio State football: Pickerington Norths Jack Sawyer commits to 2021 recruiting class". The Columbus Dispatch. February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Bender, Bill (September 16, 2019). "Five-star Ohio State commit Jack Sawyer makes switch to QB look easy". Sporting News. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Ulrey, Jarrod (November 9, 2019). "Football: Pickerington North's Jack Sawyer suffers torn MCL". Thisweeknews.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  9. ^ VanHaaren, Tom (August 14, 2020). "No. 1 recruit Jack Sawyer to skip final high school football season, seek early enrollment at Ohio State". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Sallee, Barrett (August 14, 2020). "Ohio State football recruiting: Jack Sawyer, No. 3 player in Class of 2021, to enroll early to play in spring". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Gulick, Brendan (January 2022). "Jack Sawyer Ejected From Rose Bowl For Targeting". Sports Illustrated Ohio State Buckeyes News, Analysis and More. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Rabinowitz, Bill (January 1, 2022). "Led by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State football comeback wins wild Rose Bowl over Utah". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  13. ^ "Ohio State vs. Michigan prediction, odds, line: 2024 college football picks, Week 14 bets by proven model". CBS Sports. November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  14. ^ Trotter, Jake (January 11, 2025). "Sawyer gets his 'moment,' sends OSU to CFP final". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  15. ^ Pells, Eddie (January 20, 2025). "Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game". AP News. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  16. ^ "Jack Sawyer". Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  17. ^ Doering, Joshua. "Ohio State enters title game led by faith-fueled veterans who 'give God all the credit'". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sawyer
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