Juniors Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock all told reporters Tuesday they will play in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri.
None of them announced any plans beyond that, but they all left open the possibility of returning for their senior seasons in Scarlet and Gray, too.
“I think of lot of us are trying to navigate that right now, and I think a lot of us are really close to making a decision and announcing that decision,” said Sawyer, a central Ohio native who was named to the All-Big Ten second team. “So I think here in the next couple of weeks you’ll see a lot of guys’ decisions on what the future holds.”
Sawyer, Egbuka and Jackson all entered Ohio State as five-star recruits while Burke, Williams and Hancock were also highly regarded as four-star prospects.
These days, most players of their stature figure they are entering college on a three-year plan before going pro, but no Ohio State recruiting class has gone 0-3 against Michigan or failed to win a Big Ten title in almost three decades.
“It would be underwhelming coming in here with a great class — like my class was outstanding, a lot of future players that are gonna play on Sundays,” said Hancock, a Georgia native who played nickel back this season. “We kinda want something to show for it when we all graduate. And we’re just stuck in between, so we’re just talking to each other and communicating with each other.”
NFL prospects skipping non-playoff bowl games has become a trend over the past few seasons, and Ohio State has not been immune.
Star receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave plus offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett did not play in the Rose Bowl two years ago, and they were not the first Buckeyes to make such a choice in the seasons the program has missed the CFP.
This year, draft decisions could have a drastic impact on Ohio State’s prospects of playing in the first 12-team version of the CFP next year.
Ohio State could lose as few as four or as many as 17 starters from a squad that went 11-1 and finished second in the Big Ten East.
The chasm in potential outcomes is partly a product of the NCAA granting players who played through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 an extra year of eligibility, but the class of 2021 is also in a unique spot.
Junior quarterback Kyle McCord and senior receiver Julian Fleming already entered the transfer portal along with nearly a dozen other players who were not starters this season.
Right guard Matt Jones and safety Josh Proctor are out of eligibility, but another handful of seniors could return if they take the extra year available.
So far, linebacker Cody Simon is the only one to announce he will do so, and he figures to be in the minority.
The biggest question is how many of the juniors return.
Aside from the six who spoke Tuesday, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., running back TreVeyon Henderson, defensive linemen Mike Hall Jr. and J.T. Tuimolau are all viewed as having a high likelihood of being drafted if they leave school with a year of eligibility left.
Harrison, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, said last week he has not decided if he will play in the Cotton Bowl or return to Ohio State next season, but he also acknowledged a desire to beat Michigan and win the Big Ten could motivate him to run it back one more season.
“I’m definitely blessed to be getting all the recognition that I am for these different awards, but I think I would trade it all for a win against The Team Up North (Michigan) and get to (Indianapolis) and play in a Big Ten Championship Game,” Harrison said. “It’s been tough.”
Henderson, Hall and Tuimoloau have not spoken to the media since prior to the Michigan game, but none of them have to make a draft decision before the middle of January.
Whatever else happens, Sawyer said just going out with a win over the Tigers holds some appeal.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t finish out the season the way we wanted to for our seniors and for our guys that deserved it, so we need to really go out with a good win and put on a good performance and send out guys the right way,” Sawyer said.
COTTON BOWL
Friday, Dec. 29
Ohio State vs. Missouri, 8 p.m., ESPN, 1410
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