Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer returning for senior season
COLUMBUS — Jack Sawyer has been one of the most vocal leaders in the Ohio State locker room during the last month and a half.
Now he’s returning for one more year to help lead the Buckeyes back to a Big Ten title and run at a national championship.
Sawyer is returning to Ohio State for his senior season, he announced on social media Friday afternoon.
He decided to announce his decision just a couple of hours after Buckeyes starting safety Lathan Ransom announced he is also returning to Ohio State for another year. There’s a groundswell of momentum for many of the star defensive players to run it back one more time next fall and reach their goals.
“Just rally everyone together,” said Jack Sawyer, who had three sacks last Friday night in the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. “And all you can do is go into winter workouts with the mindset we’re gonna kick ass next year, learn from this year, and be ready to improve as a team, as a unit. That’s really all you can do.”
Now Sawyer is officially back in the fold for the 2024 Buckeyes, who feel they have unfinished business after three straight losses to Michigan and three straight years without a Big Ten title. Sawyer will be a part of a defense that will be expected to lead this program back to those heights.
He’s returning to Ohio State to make it all happen.
Sawyer is latest Ohio State star to announce return
Sawyer isn’t the only defensive star at Ohio State to announce his intentions to return for one final season. He joins safety Lathan Ransom and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams as other draft-eligible Buckeyes who have announced their decisions to return to Ohio State for next season already.
Ransom missed the last five games of the season with a lower-leg injury that he suffered Week 9 at Wisconsin. Prior to the injury, he was among the most important players on the entire Buckeyes defense.
Williams was the Buckeyes top interior defensive lineman this past season, totaling 53 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and three sacks to go along with five passes deflected and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. His performance landed him on numerous mid-season All-American teams before he eventually made the second-team All-Big Ten list.
After suffering an injury in training camp, Williams rebounded for his best season. And he was in better shape this year than he was in the previous two years of college football.
