Jack Sawyer

HISTORY — From College Profile

Ohio State Overview

•Jack is expected to be one of the top defensive ends in the Big Ten Conference and college football in 2024

• He is a three-year Varsity O letterwinner who has played in all 39 games the past three seasons and has started 13 games, all coming in 2023

• Enters 2024 with 19.5 tackles-for-loss (second-most among current Buckeyes) and a team-best 14.0 quarterback sacks, in addition to 84 tackles 

• Had a fine 2023 campaign as a full-time starter: ranking second among all defensive linemen with 48 tackles and leading all linemen with 24 solo stops

• His tackle totals last year included team-high totals of 10 tackles-for-loss, for 46 yards in losses, and 6.5 quarterback sacks

• Also had three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass break-ups

• Earned second-team all-Big Ten Conference honors by the media in 2023; third-team honors by the coaches 

• Recorded personal best six tackles in 2023 three times: vs. Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan

• Recorded 24 tackles in 2022, including the third-most tackles-for-loss with 6.5 for minus-24 yards, and earned honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference honors for the league's coaches 

• Also had 4.5 quarterback sacks (-20 yards)

• Contributed 13 total tackles, including 3.0 TFLS (all quarterback sacks) for losses of 24 yards in 2021 as a true freshman

• Also had one pass break-up, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble

• Earned OSU Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2023

• Majoring in sport industry 

Honors & Awards

2023: Honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference (coaches), Academic All-Big Ten Conference, OSU Scholar-Athlete  

2022: Honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference (coaches)

More on Jack
• The highest-rated prospect in Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class according to 247Sports

• A five-star player who is the No. 1 overall player in Ohio, the No. 4 player nationally and the nation’s No. 3-ranked defensive end

• Did not play his senior season at Pickerington North

• As a junior, was the OCC-Ohio Division Defensive Player of the Year for head coach Nate Hillerich

• Had 37 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 13.5 quarterback sacks

• An exceptional athlete, Sawyer also played quarterback for Pickerington North and led then to the Division I, Region 3 playoffs

• Completed 79 of 135 passes for 1,056 yards and nine touchdowns before an injury cut his season short

• Also played basketball at Pickerington North where he made the varsity team as a freshman

• His father, Lyle, played football at Findlay College and his mother, Michelle, was a star basketball player at Pickerington

• His grandfather played in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system