The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to see many of their players drafted last month, and quarterback Will Howard and defensive end Jack Sawyer, both of which had an immense impact on the 2025 national championship-winning roster, will be starting their careers in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have been a perennially strong organization, so they couldn't be in a much better home. They were two of the 14 Buckeyes that heard their name called throughout the 3-day event. In fact, Howard, who was the 185th pick in the draft, was the last Buckeyes player to be taken off the board.
With four first-round picks, two of which were offensive linemen, Ohio State was a well-represented program. That said, Howard sat down with Kay Adams, and one thing the duo spoke about was Sawyer and his presence in Pittsburgh. Let's just say Howard speaks highly of Sawyer and his work ethic and clearly thinks he'll thrive in the Steelers.
Jack Sawyer is an animal.
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) May 20, 2025
Will Howard is a stud.
Steelers future looking bright.@steelers @whoward_ pic.twitter.com/29plqcYRbb
Sawyer, who took a fumble back to the house against Texas, transformed the Buckeyes last season. The former five-star recruit was a star for Ohio State and has the tenacity to be one at the highest level as well. The 6-foot-4 defense end had his best season in Columbus in 2024 as well, ending with nine sacks and 59 combined tackles.
As for Howard, while he fell further than expected, he also has the ability to be a star for Pittsburgh, a team desperate for a quality quarterback. With mutliple years of commanding a quality Division 1 side, Howard might be able to get a shot right out of the gate, so it'll be telling to see how training camp turns out for the former Buckeyes star.
Nonetheless, the two will clearly be having fun being able to compete with each other in Pittsburgh, and with Mike Tomlin still at the helm, they should be able to start their careers off hot.
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