Batch of NFL Draft-eligible Buckeyes will play in Cotton Bowl
COLUMBUS — Ohio State will be near full strength when it travels to Texas for the Cotton Bowl in a couple of weeks.
After a couple of weeks of speculation on who could opt out of the game and declare for the NFL Draft, the Buckeyes appear ready to end the season on a positive note. And the ultra-talented junior class is banding together to play in the Cotton Bowl.
Defensive end Jack Sawyer, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, defensive backs Jordan Hancock and Denzel Burke and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka all announced Tuesday during media sessions at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center that they’ll suit up against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29.
None of them decided to use Tuesday as a chance to declare for the NFL Draft or that they’re coming back for another season.
They all maintain that they’re undecided.
And they made sure to mention that this Cotton Bowl, although not the College Football Playoff, is an important game for Ohio State.
“Pardon my French, but I think it’s kind of bulls***,” Sawyer candidly said. “This game means a lot to us and to the fans. It’s an opportunity to go out there and play, put our best foot forward and show the world who we really are, you know, after a tough loss to a good team. All of us who are playing are super excited to be playing. We got a great opportunity to play in the Cowboys Stadium. It’s gonna be a fun trip.
“It’s gonna be a lot of excitement to get to play a good SEC team in Missouri. They’re a great team. And you know, it’s gonna be it’s a big game. And it matters.”
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It matters enough for the members of the super talented 2021 recruiting class to want to play in the game, no matter their future decisions. Of course, most of the six draft-eligible Buckeyes have decisions to make.
But they’re all going to wait to make those decisions. They have a Cotton Bowl to win. It’s a game that matters to all of them.
And they’re deciding to suit up for the 2023 Buckeyes one last time to end the season on a good note.
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