In the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, Jack Sawyer stepped up for Ohio State on arguably the team's biggest play of the season.
With Texas looking to tie the Cotton Bowl in the fourth quarter, Sawyer ended the Longhorns' hopes with an 83-yard scoop-and-score that sealed a win, sending the Buckeyes to the national championship to face Notre Dame.
Sawyer will forever live in Ohio State history because of the massive play, but he's also become one of the program's most talented and beloved players over his four seasons in Columbus.
Here's what to know about Sawyer's background, including everything from his hometown to his recruiting.
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Where is Jack Sawyer from?
Sawyer is a true hometown star for Ohio State — he was born and raised in Columbus. On top of football, he also grew up playing basketball.
Jack Sawyer high school
Sawyer attended Pickerington High School North in Ohio, where he became one of the nation's top recruits.
After starting out as a backup tight end, Sawyer transitioned to defensive end, where he flourished. He committed to the Buckeyes after his sophomore season. In his junior year, Sawyer was still a defensive end, but he also stepped in as his team's quarterback due to injuries.
Sawyer did not play football in his senior season due to COVID-19.
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Jack Sawyer high school stats
Per MaxPreps, Sawyer racked up 1,133 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes, and three interceptions as a high school quarterback. However, he made a more significant impact as a defensive end, becoming a top-ranked recruit.
Here's a look at Sawyer's defensive stats at Pickerington High School North over his sophomore and junior seasons, per MaxPreps:
| Year | Grade | Games | Total tackles | Tackles for loss | Sacks |
| 2019-20 | Junior | 11 | 37 | 19.0 | 13.5 |
| 2018-19 | Sophomore | 10 | 62 | 15.0 | 6.0 |
| Totals: | 21 | 99 | 34.0 | 19.5 |
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Jack Sawyer recruiting
Sawyer quickly became a coveted player in the 2021 class, and he eventually became Ryan Day's first commit.
As a recruit, Sawyer was the No. 5 overall player in the class and the No. 3 defensive lineman, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. With a massive frame and standout athleticism, 247Sports' Allen Trieu wrote in Sawyer's recruiting profile that he was a "physically put-together prospect" that "has the traits of a future high draft choice," comparing him to NFL star Nick Bosa.
Sawyer committed to the Buckeyes by his sophomore year of high school, choosing them over schools like Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State, and more. In a recent piece Sawyer wrote in The Player's Tribune, he admitted he was an "easy” recruit because "most of [his] dreams as a kid involved being a Buckeye" as he grew up in Columbus.
He was also the first recruit for Day, who took over as Ohio State's full-time head coach in 2019.
Sawyer enrolled at Ohio State a semester early. Over his collegiate career with the Buckeyes, he's totaled 141 tackles and 23 sacks.