Jack Sawyer Reveals His Ohio State Mt. Rushmore For Defensive Linemen

Ohio State Buckeyes star Jack Sawyer has rattled off his top four defensive lineman in the school's history.

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) in action during the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Missouri Tigers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer is expected by some to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, so he is a pretty talented defender in his own right.

However, there were plenty of Ohio State defensive linemen that came before Sawyer that helped set the tone for him and everyone else going forward.

Earlier this week, Sawyer was asked to name his Mt. Rushmore for Buckeyes defensive linemen, and he rattled off four very familiar names, one of which was surprisingly old school: Chase Young, Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa and Mike Vrabel.

Do y’all agree with @jacksawyer33’s Mt. Rushmore of @OhioStateFB defensive linemen? 👀 pic.twitter.com/LaBl62C9p4

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) July 24, 2024

The Vrabel shoutout is particularly refreshing.

Generally, when players create lists like these, they focus on guys who played in a similar era. Vrabel, on the other hand, played for Ohio State from 1993 through 1996.

He was a dominant force throughout his tenure in Columbus, racking up 37 sacks. His best individual season came in '95, when he rattled off 63 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks.

Obviously, Young and the Bosa brothers were much more recent.

Young totaled 30.5 sacks in three years with the Buckeyes, topping out at 16.5 sacks during his final season in 2019. Meanwhile, Joey Bosa registered 26 sacks in three seasons (13.5 was his best mark in 2014), and Nick Bosa accumulated 17.5 sacks over his three years at Ohio State (2016-18).

Young and the Bosa brothers were all top-3 picks in their respective drafts, with Young and Nick going No. 2 and Joey getting drafted third overall.

Meanwhile, Vrabel was a third-round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997.

Sawyer recorded 48 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles last season. He could have declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, but opted to return to Columbus for one more shot at a national championship.