Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes land No. 3 overall 2021 recruit Jack Sawyer

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise! Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball and more.

---

No. 3 overall 2021 recruit Jack Sawyer commits to the Buckeyes

Jack Sawyer, the No. 3 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, committed to Ohio State on Sunday. The ultra-talented defensive end from Pickerington (Ohio) North becomes Ohio State’s first commitment for the Class of 2021.

“Ohio State was just the best place for me,” Sawyer told Lettermen Row. “Coach Johnson and Coach Day make it feel like home for me. There’s no need to wait. I’m ready to get rolling. I’m just so excited to be a Buckeye.”

Sawyer made three visits to Ohio State during the fall, the last of which came for Ohio State’s demolition of Michigan. In that game, the Buckeyes’ defensive line tore apart Michigan’s offensive front and played a big part in landing 5-star Zach Harrison over the Wolverines. It also made an impression on Sawyer at the time.

“I don’t think anyone expected Ohio State to come out and play lights out like that,” Sawyer told Lettermen Row.”I think they came out with that fire and were kind of pissed off, and it just backs up that Coach Johnson is obviously one of the best at what he does.”

Analyzing the impact of Sawyer’s commitment

Ryan Day and Ohio State have the lynchpin of what could be a special in-state recruiting haul in the Class of 2021: 5-star Pickerington North defensive end Jack Sawyer is now committed to the Buckeyes a day after his most recent trip to campus in Columbus.

Who is Jack Sawyer? Why is he so vital to the program? Birm provides the low down on Ohio State’s newest verbal pledge.

Five reasons Parris Campbell could be a first-round pick

Parris Campbell will hear his name called at the NFL Draft in late April. There’s absolutely no question about that.

However, after former Ohio State receiver Terry McLaurin boosted his own draft stock last week at the Senior Bowl, it’s interesting to consider just how high another former member of Zone 6 in Campbell — who denied his invite to the game — may be selected in the draft. Many felt that after last season, the Akron-native may forgo his final season of eligibility for an opportunity at the next level, but Campbell decided he had “one more” year left in him to fine-tune his skills at receiver.

In just under three months, an NFL franchise will select Campbell and immediately gain an excellent asset both on and off the field. What round could he go in? Lettermen Row is looking at a few reasons why the former Buckeye should hear his name on Day 1.

Where things stand with Doug Nester, and some of the top targets for the Buckeyes

Ohio State never wanted anything but for Doug Nester, its first 2019 commitment, to sign in December and enroll early with the Buckeyes as was his plan for almost all of 2018.

Then everything that happened from August to December happened and things got weird. After deciding to not sign in December, Nester has been the absolute priority for the Buckeyes in the Class of 2019.

Nester made trips to Penn State and Virginia Tech during the season, visits he made “with teammates” but that weren’t really recruiting trips for him, apparently. It’s ironic then to consider that as Nester backed off his early-enrollment plans that two became the two schools he would make official visits to, revealing that there was probably a little bit of recruiting happening with him, too.

For more on Nester and some of the other top prospects Ohio State has its eye on, check out Sunday’s edition of Dotting the ‘Eyes.

Is Ryan Day Ohio State’s next recruiting closer?

Nobody closed out recruiting battles like Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.

New head coach Ryan Day’s success will in part be determined by how close he can come to Meyer’s uncanny ability to win over top recruits when the stakes were highest. Meyer’s closing ability helped stock the program with talent that ensured the Buckeyes consistently had a better roster than all but maybe one or two teams in college football. It would be unfair to expect Day to match those abilities as a first-time head coach with no record or titles to lean on, but if he can come anywhere close to Meyer’s salesmanship it will go a long way towards ensuring his long-term viability.

Lettermen Row analyzes the steps Day can take to build on his strong start on the recruiting front as head coach of the Buckeyes, and how vital the end of this signing period is for the future of the program.

Counting down

• Ohio State hoops vs. Penn State: 3 days
• National Signing Day: 2 days

Sign up for the Scarlet Sunrise newsletter

If you enjoy the Scarlet Sunrise posts, please consider having our newsletter delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Click here to sign up!