Ohio State Football: Three defenders who have the most to prove

3. Jack Sawyer

Jack Sawyer is now back at defensive end full-time after being in the “Jack” position a year ago. Now that he’s back at his natural position, he has a shot to show that he can be a disrupter during all three downs. He hasn’t quite shown that in his Ohio State football career yet.

Sawyer was a five-star recruit out of high school and showed flashes of greatness immediately. In his first Spring Game, he recorded three sacks. He looked like he was ready to dominate the rest of the Big Ten as soon as he stepped out on the field.

Instead, Sawyer has just been good, not great. He has 7.5 sacks in the past two seasons. He’s probably not even the best defensive end on the team. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the talent to wreck games still, because he does. He just hasn’t shown it all yet.

Sawyer has adapted well to Jim Knowles’ new scheme, doing what the DC has needed him to do. He has done what’s asked of him, even if it hasn’t been best for his personal game. Now he’s back at his natural position. I expect him to get at least 7.5 sacks this season alone.

If Sawyer can have that type of production, the Buckeyes have a great shot at running the table and being in contention for a national championship. This is the time when his full potential can be on display.

If all three of these players on this list prove what they need to, this defense is actually going to be pretty darn good.