![]() Sawyer talking to press ahead of the 2025 CFP National Championship. | |
Ohio State Buckeyes–No. 33 | |
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Position | Defensive end |
Class | Senior |
Major | Finance |
Personal information | |
Born: | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | May 6, 2002
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
Career history | |
College |
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Bowl games | |
High school | Pickerington North (Pickerington, Ohio) |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Jack Sawyer (born May 6, 2002) is an American college football defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes. [1]
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]
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]
In the 2025 Cotton Bowl, Sawyer returned a fumble touchdown in the fourth quarter after a strip-sack of Texas quarterback and former Buckeye teammate 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]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Bench press | ||||||||
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6 ft 4+1⁄4 in (1.94 m) | 260 lb (118 kg) | 31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 21 reps | ||||||||
All values from NFL Combine [16] [17] [18] & Pro Day |
Sawyer is the son of Lyle and Michelle Sawyer. [19] Sawyer is a Christian. [20]