“I don’t know, we’ll see,” Sawyer responded. “Most likely, yeah.” Probably.”
Sawyer is coming off a junior season that can best be described as good, but not great enough to make going pro a no-brainer. Sawyer, a top-five prospect in his 2021 recruitment class, with 79 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three pass breakups, and three caused fumbles in three seasons.
Outside of projected high first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr., his description can be applied to nearly the entire 2021 recruiting class, which is why the rest of them are playing on Friday, and it’s not crazy to imagine Harrison — who appears to be on the verge of opting out of the Cotton Bowl — being the only one not back next season.
This is a personal decision for everyone of the 2021 players who have seen their careers blossom in Columbus. However, it has the potential to become a unanimous decision by a group that thinks it has unfinished work as Buckeyes.
“I think that when you’ve got a bunch of guys that could have gone to the NFL and they all come back and they’ve got 50-some seniors on their roster and everybody’s experienced and all their top players are coming back I think it helps the team win,” said Sawyer. “It’s definitely something we’ve talked about.”
Ryan Day assembled Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class from the ground up. So many of them come with tremendous hopes, and to varying degrees, they have lived up to those expectations. However, the team’s success remains unfinished. No victories over Michigan, no Big Ten championships, and a defeat in their sole College Football Playoff game.
Maybe that mix of factors will inspire a bunch that was always anticipated to be three-and-done to postpone their NFL goals in exchange for a chance to conclude on a nicer note.
“You saw what happens when you build off the first year into the second year,” he remarked. “How big of a leap can you take?” Personally, I believe we have another major leap to make next year if everyone decides to return.”
