Future Buckeye DE Jack Sawyer Dominant on Tape

Ohio State's run of strong edge prospects doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.

As the Bosa brothers stormed into the NFL, Chase Young is about a month away from hearing his name called early in the NFL Draft. Could Jack Sawyer become the next man up in Columbus?

Having been on board with the Buckeyes for more than a year, the in-state athlete has similar tools to the recent OSU greats at the same stage. In 2019 he proved plenty productive on defense, registering more than 30 stops behind the line of scrimmage for Pickerington (Ohio) North. Sawyer had 13.5 sacks and 19 more tackles for loss as a junior in just 11 games played.

With a long, strong frame despite plenty of room to add mass at 6-5, 220 pounds, Sawyer is a natural athlete who can impact the game on any given play. He is the type of edge disrupter an offense would have to account for before every snap. There is plenty of polish in his pass-rushing game relative to age, with a snap first step giving way to the conversion of speed to power to get blockers off balance.

Armed with strong body control and the ability to bend, Sawyer can attack a retreating protector with a full tool box including a spin move, hesitation dip and classic bull rush. He can come downhill with such force that the threat of counter moves can clear a path to the passer. Combine it with strong hand technique along with the ability to eliminate a blocker’s extension with power or speed, and it makes Sawyer an elite edge presence.

The athlete is comfortable attacking from a stand up or hand in the dirt position. Against the run, he is functional at the point of contact and can play within his responsibility enough to set the edge. Sawyer is a strong disengager with great quickness and lateral ability thereafter, movement skill that couples well with his great length to maximize the ground he can cover within the box.

Sawyer, also a varsity basketball player, dabbles on offense as a quarterback and pass catcher, where his high football IQ and awareness shines through in addition to laughable power as a ball carrier. Sawyer’s game projects quite well towards big time college football, where he looks to be a three-down dominator on defense with the room to grow into a traditional defensive end or even defensive tackle in a four-man front.

Ohio State has one of the top 2021 recruiting classes in America thanks to a March surge of pledges in a short span. Be sure to track all of the Buckeye news in one place, BuckeyeMaven.com.

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