Defensive end Jack Sawyer returned to the Ohio State Buckeyes for his senior year, opting to forgo the NFL Draft for a year, and has since been a cornerstone of the Buckeyes’ 11-2 season. Head coach Ryan Day faced significant criticism for repeated losses to Michigan, including the most recent outing that eliminated the Buckeyes from the Big Ten Championship Game.
However, the narrative shifted after Ohio State’s dominant 42-point performance in the first round of the College Football Playoff against the Tennessee Volunteers, who managed just 17 points against Sawyer and the Buckeyes’ defense.
Jack Sawyer’s Special Shoutout for Ryan Day
There had been growing calls for Day’s removal following the Michigan loss. On December 21st, Ohio Stadium was colored Orange, as Tennessee fans flooded the area.
With the pressure at an all-time high for Day and the Bucks, only one option remained: to win.
And win they did. The Buckeyes came out strong, quieting most of the whispers.
“You could tell from the jump that they had a look in their eyes that they were going to win this game,” Day said post-game.
Sawyer, who has been a pillar of support, defending his coach extensively this year, gave Day a shoutout after the win:
Jack Sawyer talks about his relationship with #Buckeyes coach Ryan Day.
“He’s the best coach in the country in my eyes.” pic.twitter.com/Ijn7e3SK1B
— Lantern Sports (@LanternSports) December 22, 2024
“He’s the best coach in the country in my eyes, and it’s wins like this that prove that.”
Back in July, Sawyer also defended Day at the Big Ten Media Days.
“I know, if you ask coach Day, (he’s) man enough to sit up here and tell you that’s part of the job he signed up to do,” Sawyer said. “But me being a guy who would go to war for him any day, regardless of the topic, I think he gets wrongly criticized on a bunch of stuff. A bunch of junk came out after we lost to [Michigan] a couple of times about him not caring, which couldn’t be more wrong.”
MORE: Take the CFN Mock Draft Simulator for a spin, drafting every pick of the 2025 NFL Draft!
According to College Football Network’s mock draft simulator, Sawyer is projected to be selected on Day 2. of the 2025 NFL Draft. Hailing from just southeast of Columbus in Pickerington, Sawyer’s a local prospect who has never wavered in his support of his hometown Buckeyes.
That kind of support is what’s carried his career and now carrying the Buckeyes into the second round of the College Football Playoffs.
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