Ohio State football: 3 breakout stars for the Buckeyes in 2022
By John Buhler
Ryan Day’s Ohio State football team has every reason to believe it can win the national title.
As long as the Buckeyes can play a lick of defense, the Ohio State football team is going to be an unstoppable force this upcoming college season.
Ohio State shockingly missed out on the Big Ten Championship game a year ago. While the Buckeyes put on a fireworks show in their shootout victory over the Utah Utes in the Rose Bowl, anything short of a national championship this season will be met with great disappointment. The good news is the Buckeyes have the depth and talent at key positions to make this thing possible.
For Ohio State to beat two SEC teams in a row to win the playoff, these players need to break out.
Ohio State football: 3 Buckeyes poised to have breakout seasons in 2022
Ohio State Buckeyes. Jack Sawyer. player. 812. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. DE. 3
Look for Jack Sawyer to have a sensational sophomore season at Ohio State
Though Jack Sawyer played in every game last fall for the Buckeyes in his true freshman season, he did have to overcome not playing football for a year. The former Pickerington North star was every bit the five-star prospect coming out of high school. With the potential to be the next Chase Young or Bosa Brother, now would be the perfect time for Sawyer to be just that for the Buckeyes.
No doubt about it, Sawyer will get plenty of playing time this fall in his sophomore campaign. What remains to be seen is if he will start for Ohio State at some point. He may need to first carve out a role as a situational pass-rusher of sorts for the Buckeyes defense. Then again, he will have had another year in the program, meaning another year to get faster and stronger in the weight room.
Ultimately, Ohio State needs blue-chippers like Sawyer to come up big in the latter part of their sophomore seasons. It is not just to get past the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin in Big Ten play, but to provide the firepower needed to keep pace with whoever comes out of the SEC, or Clemson, should they face the Buckeyes in the playoff. Sawyer has to be ready.
The good news for Sawyer is he will not be tasked with taking that next big step alone this season.