Latest news with #JackSawyer
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Steelers Rookie Jack Sawyer Already Drawing Rave Reviews
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Pittsburgh Steelers put together a very interesting draft. While they didn't take a quarterback as early as expected, waiting until the sixth round to bring in Will Howard, they made other big-time moves before that selection. One of the more intriguing additions was former Ohio State standout pass rusher Jack Sawyer. Sawyer, who was one of the heroes of the College Football Playoff for the Buckeyes, will now look to help T.J. Watt with pressure off of the edge. So far, he is making a major impression on the Steelers and his new teammates. Jack Sawyer #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates during the second quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Playoff First Round Game at Ohio Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. Jack Sawyer #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates during the second quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Playoff First Round Game at Ohio Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. Photo byWith OTA's underway, Sawyer has been given a chance to show his new teammates what he can bring to the team. He has already started making them take notice of his ability. Read more: Peyton Manning Doesn't Hold Back About Aaron Rodgers Amid Steelers Rumors Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh's veteran linebacker, spoke out with major praise for Sawyer. He likes what he's seeing from the rookie defender. "He's gonna be a dog for us," Highsmith said. "He's got his right head on his shoulders and he works hard. Like I said, he's got the right mindset. It's been cool being able to interact with him and help him out. I came in as a rookie, and T.J. [Watt] and Bud [Dupree] helped me out a lot, as well. That's one thing I want to be able to pour into the new guys that are coming in." Two things can be taken from that quote. Number one, Sawyer could provide an instant impact for the Steelers. Secondly, Highsmith has become a major leader for the defense and will be very helpful for young players. Of course, the rumors surrounding Pittsburgh on the offensive side of the football have not died down. Aaron Rodgers still has yet to sign a contract and the quarterback situation is a complete question mark. Read more: Steelers Given Shocking Suggestion at QB and It's Not Aaron Rodgers Even with Rodgers onboard, the Steelers would need a great defense to compete in the AFC. They seem to have put that defense together well. During his college career at Ohio State, Sawyer played in four seasons and 54 total games. He racked up 144 total tackles to go along with 23 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two defensive touchdowns, one interception, and 11 defended passes. There is no question that Sawyer has the talent to become a special player at the NFL level. Already, he's starting to show that potential and his teammates are clearly taking notice. For more Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
College Football Playoff announces change to future seeding process
College Football Playoff announces change to future seeding process And everyone rejoiced. It's not often that the College Football Playoff makes a decision that is celebrated by the masses, but this one has to be up there. OK, we at Buckeyes Wire were also big fans of the expanded playoff, but you get the idea. As with any new model, you have to be able to reflect and be willing to make changes that make sense, and the seeding process that seemed like a good idea at the time simply didn't work. As a refresher, the first year of the new 12-team College Football Playoff (that Ohio State will own for eternity by the way), rewarded conference champions. The Cliff Notes version is that the top four conference champions received a bye, and then the seeding would go from there based on the CFP rankings. Last year, what that left us with is an Arizona State team that won the Big Twelve despite being ranked No. 12. It also meant that Boise State was awarded a No. 3 seed as the Mountain West champion despite clocking in at No. 9 in the last CFP rankings. That cascaded everything down. That meant No. 1 Oregon had to face a fantastic Ohio State team at No. 6 in its first-round matchup, while Penn State got a pretty easy path to the semifinals by tussling with SMU and then Boise State. Notre Dame wasn't even eligible to be a top-four seed and receive a bye because it couldn't be a conference champion. Turns out it is nearly impossible to be a conference champion without being in ... wait for it ... a conference. Seeing and listening to what occurred last season, the CFP Committee announced a change to the seeding process that's less complex and simple. From now on, the seeding will just be what the teams are ranked in the CFP final rankings. So, that means, last year, Ohio State would have been a No. 6 seed instead of a No. 8 and matched up in Columbus against Arizona State. If it won (and reminder, it would have), the Buckeyes would then have faced No. 3 seed (instead of No. 5) Texas in the quarterfinal. Who knows if Jack Sawyer would have written his name in Buckeye lore, but still ... Here's what the seeds would have been under the new model if in place last season. The Power Four conferences and top top-ranked non-Power Four still get an automatic qualification. It's hard to come up with a downside to this change, and we're here to give credit to the CFP Committee for making this change so quickly. No matter how you slice it, there will still be some outstanding matchups going forward with this model. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ben Roethlisberger Makes Bold Prediction for Steelers Day 3 Rookie
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jack Sawyer at practice on May 9, 2025. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sees big things in the future of Pittsburgh's fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer. The Pittsburgh Steelers passed on other positions of need to strengthen their already star-studded outside linebacker room with Ohio State's Jack Sawyer in the fourth round (No. 123) of the 2025 NFL Draft. But former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't think they'll ever come to regret that decision. Advertisement 'You can see that that dude has every potential to be a captain at some point on this team' Roethlisberger said on the latest episode of 'Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.' 'Dude is gonna be good, I think. I almost forgot about him in the draft. When we picked him, I was like, 'Oh, I remember. Yeah, that's a good pick.'' Sawyer, 22, did come at great value ranked as the No. 67 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. So it wouldn't be a surprise if he was the highest-rated player on Pittsburgh's board. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defender recorded 59 tackles (25 solo), nine sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and six passes defensed while leading the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2024. Advertisement His most notable play came in the Cotton Bowl when he strip sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and returned it for an 83-yard touchdown to seal the game. Jack Sawyer, Ohio State Athletics However, Sawyer is joining a very crowded room, which already includes T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. That's why many question what his impact will be as a rookie or even in the next couple of seasons. Roethlisberger is not among those, though. Instead, he thinks it will be a good thing for Sawyer's long-term development. 'I think it's great because he's going to get to learn behind some studs, maybe one of the greatest to ever play the game in T.J., Alex, who's a high-motor, high-quality, high-character guy that is a really good football player as well,' Roethlisberger said. 'And he's all for learning. He's not coming in being like, 'I'm the dude.'' Advertisement In four seasons at Ohio State, Sawyer registered 144 tackles (68 solo), 23 sacks, six forced fumbles, one interception and 10 passes defensed. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ben Roethlisberger Makes Bold Prediction for Steelers Day 3 Rookie
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Howard Reacts to Personal Announcement on Saturday
Will Howard helped lead the Ohio State Buckeyes back to the top of the college football world last season. Now, it's time to do the same with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Howard was selected by the Steelers after playing one season at Ohio State. He was chosen with the No. 185 pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Advertisement He made the move to Pittsburgh with former Ohio State star Jack Sawyer, who was also selected by the Steelers. As Howard embarks on the new journey in the NFL, he's taking the time to give back. Howard recently announced that he would be hosting a youth football camp for boys and girls between the ages of six and 16. The Steelers rookie is hosting the camp at Pickerington North High School in Ohio on June 14. On Saturday, Howard took to social media to promote his camp, where he's partnered with Raising Cane's as the sponsor. Will Howard, InstagramWill Howard, Instagram During Will Howard's first and last season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, he posted 35 touchdowns and 4,010 yards, completing 73.1% of his pass attempts. Advertisement Howard led the Buckeyes to the national championship after transferring to the Big Ten program for his final college football season. Before making the move to Ohio State, Howard played four seasons with the Kansas State Wildcats. Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard.© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Will Howard is heading into one of the most consistent teams in the NFL, led by head coach Mike Tomlin. He also be learning under two incredible minds in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth. Related: No. 1 College Basketball Recruit Sends Clear Message After Career Decision Related: Dawn Staley Sends Clear Message to Former South Carolina Star
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
FOX announces gametime for Texas vs. Ohio State on Aug 30
FOX announces gametime for Texas vs. Ohio State on Aug 30 Texas vs. Ohio State will kickoff at 11am CT. You either love it, or hate it. College football fans will be setting their alarms early as FOX has announced that the highly anticipated season opener between the Texas Longhorns and the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes will kick off at 11 a.m. Central (12 p.m. Eastern) on Saturday, August 30, from Ohio Stadium. The matchup will headline FOX's 'Big Noon Kickoff' broadcast, continuing the network's trend of featuring marquee games in its signature early time slot. The game is a rematch of January's College Football Playoff semifinal, where Ohio State defeated Texas 28-14 to secure a spot in the national championship game. That contest saw the Longhorns eliminated in the semifinal round for the second consecutive year, with Buckeyes linebacker Jack Sawyer's 83-yard fumble return sealing the victory2. Both teams enter the 2025 season with new faces at quarterback: Texas will be led by highly touted recruit Arch Manning, while Ohio State turns to five-star prospect Julian Sayin. The August game is the first of a two-year home-and-home series, with Texas set to host the Buckeyes in 2026. While the matchup is expected to feature two top-ranked programs and could have major implications for early College Football Playoff positioning, some fans have expressed disappointment that the game will not be played under the lights in primetime. The noon ET kickoff has become a staple for FOX's coverage of major Big Ten matchups, a strategy that has drawn criticism from supporters eager for more evening atmospheres at Ohio Stadium. Despite the early start, the Texas–Ohio State opener is poised to be one of the most watched games of college football's opening weekend, with significant national attention and depending on how you look at it, possible playoff implications on the line.
