COLUMBUS, Ohio –– In an exhibition setting with tackling prohibited and quarterbacks wearing non-contact jerseys, this year’s Spring Game figured to be a difficult platform for a defensive end to put on much of a show.
Unless, apparently, that defensive end is Jack Sawyer.
The five-star prospect from the class of 2021 grew up in the shadow of the Buckeye program in Pickerington, Ohio, but Saturday’s showcase may have signaled that he has truly arrived at Ohio State, as Sawyer was credited with three sacks and a forced fumble on the day.
“Jack? Yeah, Jack’s real. Jack’s legit,” junior defensive end Zach Harrison said about his new teammate after the Spring Game. “Jack’s gonna be a great player.”
Even with the aforementioned modifications to the Spring Game format, Sawyer having a breakout performance may not have been all that shocking to those that have closely followed his ascension.
The top defensive end in his class, Sawyer finished his recruiting cycle rated No. 11 overall without even playing a senior season of high school football, and had previously charted as high as No. 4 as a junior.
At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Sawyer has drawn comparisons to former Buckeye pass rushers and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners Joey and Nick Bosa, but in order for that to be warranted moving forward, he’ll have to take big strides early in his collegiate career.
If Saturday’s performance is any indication though, Sawyer is already well on his way.
“(He’s) off to a great start for sure,” head coach Ryan Day said. “He’s 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 had some good depth there. But Jack in particular came in with a lot of confidence and he’s made a lot of plays. What you saw today was pretty much most every practice out there.”
Sawyer’s first highlight came on a first quarter third-and-9 play in the red zone, where he bull-rushed senior tackle Chris Kuhn nearly straight into freshman quarterback Kyle McCord, who dropped the football and went to his knees. The strip sack forced a field goal attempt.
McCord fell victim to Sawyer’s pressure again with two minutes left in the first half, as Sawyer manhandled redshirt freshman tackle Grant Toutant before getting his hands on the first-year quarterback for a loss of four on another sack.
“All the things that stand out are pretty obvious,” Harrison said. “Jack’s got a great first step and great bend around the edge, and that’s something you really can’t teach. Like I said, I think he’s gonna be a great player at Ohio State.”
It was Sawyer’s speed that earned him his final sack of the day, as he blew past freshman Zen Michalski at left tackle to find second-year QB C.J. Stroud for what would have undoubtedly resulted in a heavy collision in a regulation game.
As if the highly touted talent didn’t have enough buzz around his name prior to this weekend, the excitement for Sawyer’s potential has only trended upward –– and fast –– since Saturday, and the Buckeye coaching staff is hopeful that Sawyer’s impact will be felt right off the bat once the season begins this fall.
“If he can keep building and getting stronger, hopefully he’s gonna have an impact and be able to participate here early in the season,” Day said. “We have a couple big games early on, so the more depth we have the better off we’re gonna be.”
