Ohio natives CJ Barnett, Jack Sawyer explain decision to stay home, play for Ohio State

Jack Sawyer knew he wanted to play football at Ohio State long before he committed to the Buckeyes. Growing up in Pickerington, Ohio, just outside of Columbus, he was a fan of the team with visions of one day being a part of it.

Sawyer developed into a five-star recruit and one of the most sought-after players in the country with offers from schools like Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Michigan. However, as he explained in a recent video with former Buckeyes director of player development CJ Barnett, the decision to choose the Ohio State was a no-brainer.

“Just growing up in Columbus (and) how strong of a fan base it is here,” Sawyer said. “When you grow up in Columbus, everybody’s a Buckeyes fan. My family means everything to me. So being close to them and being close to my friends and family meant a lot to me. Also with (defensive line) coach (Larry) Johnson being here and when coach (Ryan) Day got the job, just coming on my visits, it made the decision really easy with those guys being here.

“And some of the guys who’ve played here who are from Pickerington. The DaVon Hamiltons, Pat Elfleins, all those guys. So it was really, to me, it was a simple decision. When I was a freshman in high school I wanted to commit here right after I got the offer. But I’d say the two biggest things is coach Johnson being here then being close to my family and friends. I didn’t want to leave them.”

Now getting ready to enter his third season at Ohio State, Sawyer has established himself as one of the top options on the defensive line. He tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks in addition to 24 tackles this past season and should be one of the leaders on defense.

The Buckeyes fell just short in the College Football Playoff this past season to eventual champion Georgia, but Sawyer believes they have what it takes to make it back in 2023. With Ohio State’s last national title coming in 2014, he has a goal to deliver another before his career is up.

“I want to bring a national championship here to Ohio State and to Columbus for all the fans and everybody in the state so bad,” Sawyer said. “When I was growing up and we won it in 2014, I wanted to be a part of that so bad. All the great players around that team and just seeing the state and the city, how electric it was. That’s another reason I came here. I want to bring one of those back here.”

CJ Barnett opens up on his decision to play for Ohio State

Before becoming director of player development, Barnett was a safety for the Buckeyes from 2009-13 under coach Jim Tressel. A native of Dayton, Ohio, he said he, like Sawyer, grew up dreaming of putting on an Ohio State jersey.

“Growing up with that, watching them every Saturday being a kid and thinking about watching Mike Doss win a national championship and all that kind of stuff, I wanted to be a part of that,” he said. “I want to be a part of this great place that has such great athletes, such a great fan base, great head coaches and all that kind of stuff. That was the first thing. Just the overall greatness of Ohio State.

“I remember Jim Tressel coming into my home. Jim Tressel was my head coach when I started here and just the way he was, you could tell that it was genuine. You could tell how much he cared. You could tell how much he cared about Ohio State and about me coming to play for him. Also, just him emphasizing family. I know it’s right down the street. I’ve still got my family back home, but going somewhere where you’re treated like family. They care about you. Not just the player, but who you are.”

Barnett added that he played high school football with defensive back Kurt Coleman and later teamed up with him at Ohio State for one season. That, along with the atmosphere and proximity to his family, made the Buckeyes the easy choice.

“Kurt Coleman was a guy that went to my high school,” Barnett said. “He was a senior when I was a freshman. He kind of grew a liking to me and took that big brother role. To have somebody there that can kind of show me the ropes and give me a head start on everybody else. Then also, just family. Family can come to your games. It’s amazing when you come to a game on an official visit and you first see the Shoe, you walk down that tunnel and it just opens up and 100,000-plus people are going crazy. It’s great to have that but also to know that my family’s coming to the game and in the stands cheering me on.”