Ohio State Defensive End Jack Sawyer “More Than Likely” Returning Next Season

One of many Buckeyes that has a decision to make about whether he will come back for another year at Ohio State or enter his name into the NFL Draft is defensive end Jack Sawyer, and he seems to be leaning towards returning to Columbus for another season.

“I don’t know, we’ll see,” Sawyer said when he was asked whether he would play in the game against Akron next year. “More than likely, yeah. Probably.”

His official decision won’t come until after the Cotton Bowl, and for now that’s what his attention is focused on, along with the rest of his teammates who are in a similar situation, but he did say he is focused on ending on the right note to help build for next season.

“Yeah, I think we’re all focused on this game and we want to finish the season out right and end it on a good note,” Sawyer said. “We’ve put a lot of work in for this season, and we want to end it the right way for the seniors and building and going into the next year.

“I think that’s one of the big things is, you know, we’re all focused in on this game and nothing else. And you know, we’re playing a great team, get an opportunity to come out here and finish the season the right way. And I think that’s the big thing is not to make any distractions, whether they’re going to go or not. And so this was all of our focus is on this game against Missouri.”

The entire starting defensive line has the same decision to make as Sawyer, who said his relationship with J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Mike Hall Jr. has grown over the years they have been here and has some impact on his decision, but it’s something that he will take with him after he leaves Ohio State.

“We’ve got a great relationship,” Sawyer said. “I think over the last few years it’s built, and we became really close. That’s my brother. And I think we feel the same way about especially the rest of us on the D-line. When it comes to Tyleik and Mike, our class. We’re super close.”

“You know, it’s funny. These relationships and this brotherhood that we have lasts a lifetime. So when they go on and do whatever, we go our separate ways, maybe we come together in the league a couple years on down the road. We’re going to have each other’s backs for the rest of our lives. That’s real and we know that.

The entire class of juniors haven’t been able to beat Michigan, win a Big Ten Championship or a national championship and along with the great relationships they have all built in the time they have been at Ohio State, not completing those goals is also a big motivator in possiblt bringing them back for one last go.

“That’s kind of the relationship we have with this class is so tight knit. You can say the same thing on the offense side of the ball, the receivers are so close, too, when you talk about Emeka [Egbuka] and Marvin [Harrison Jr.] and those guys. Same with TreVeyon [Henderson]. Our class is special and we want to send them out the right way. Whether we come back next year or not, we have to see.”