Former Buckeyes national champion shined bright in first NFL start with Steelers

Ohio State Buckeyes fans got a chance to see one of their national champion linebackers from last year's team get his first shot at starting and made the most of it.

Former Buckeyes linebacker Jack Sawyer got his first career NFL start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 against the Detroit Lions. Sawyer performed well as he made five tackles, three of them were solo tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection, and two quarterback hits as he helped the Steelers pick up the win over the Lions 29-24.

Jack Sawyer in his first NFL start:

5 tackles (3 solo)
1 TFL
1 PD
2 QB hits

Steelers get the win over the Lions pic.twitter.com/GJPq3iqnue
— Woody (@woodyVSworld) December 22, 2025

For the season, Sawyer has made 31 tackles, six quarterback hits, three pass deflections, three tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception in 15 games. He has been in on 26% of the defensive snaps, with more of his work coming on special teams, where he has participated in 76% of the snaps.

Buckeyes fans will be very familiar with Sawyer as he played a massive role in the team winning the national championship last season after racking up 59 tackles, nine sacks, seven pass deflections, three forced fumbles (led Big Ten), three fumble recoveries, two fumbles returned for touchdowns, and one interception. Twice in Sawyer's career at Ohio State, he was named a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023 and 2024.

Sawyer played defensive end at Ohio State, which is what made him a perfect fit for the Steelers' defense. While playing with the Buckeyes, he was a hybrid edge rusher who could drop back into coverage as a linebacker, which is what made Pittsburgh select him in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft.

Steelers fans have seen early signs that Sawyer might have a chance to be the next T.J. Watt, though some development is needed. Sawyer is off to a strong start after his first career start, as he has now put himself in a position to pick up some more playing time on defense and get into the rotation more often.

There will be no complaints from Buckeyes fans, as they saw the same things Pittsburgh fans are seeing now. Sawyer and the style of play he had as an aggressive pass rusher with solid coverage skills are why the Steelers believe he can be a starter in the NFL in the future.

The former Buckeye is off to a strong start to his NFL career and has a chance to continue to do even more in the league in the upcoming weeks and years.