41 - Justin Fields, Ohio State (2019)
39 - Drew Brees, Purdue (1998) , Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished the Rose Bowl with 347 Rec yds, a new bowl record and the 5th most in a game in FBS history.
The Buckeyes prevail in a thriller, 48-45 over No. [14], Smith-Njigba is of half Sierra Leonean descent. . Entering 2022, Smith-Njigba had been projected as one of the top wide receivers in the country. Smith-Njigbas movement style helps compound his separation ability, but hes already very proficient at using his traits effectively. 19-20 Varsity Football. Latest on Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN And judging by the way those around the league view the 21-year old, it seems Smith-Njigba will have every chance to prove his worth at the next level. Join our linker program. Over the final five games of the 2021 season, the Texas native accumulated 60 receptions for 958 yards and six touchdowns. Every dynasty GM knows there is no offseason. And looking at his evaluation, that early-round billing is warranted. If the picks line up, adding Smith-Njigba would be an easy decision for Chicago. Jaxon Smith-Njigba says he's 100% but skipping 40-yard dash Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba won't run the 40 at the scouting combine but says he is fully healed from the hamstring. 11 overall to New Orleans), Broke 20-year-old Big Ten receiving yards record (1,545 yards in 2001 by Lee Evan, Wisconsin) with his 1,606 receiving yards in 2021, 95 receptions rank fifth-most in Big Ten history, Set Rose Bowl records with 347 receiving yards and 15 receptions with three touchdowns and was named offensive most valuable player, 2021: Rose Bowl game MVP; Third-team All-American (Associated Press), Named the Texas 6A State Player of the Year - No. Smith-Njigba proceeded to shatter the school's record for most receiving yards in a game, previously held by Terry Glenn with 253 yards. Smith-Njigba has 326 yards receiving, which is the most in any bowl game in college football history. The Ohio State WR is a natural hands catcher, with incredibly smooth body control in the open field when adjusting for throws. The last time Ohio State took the field, Ryan Day's squad was embarrassed in a 42-27 loss to Michigan. A former five-star recruit, Smith-Njigba has dominated everywhere hes been. 3 Jordan Addison - USC. It was his most productive performance since a Nov. 13 win over Arizona when he threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 22 yards a score. Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the top prospects, regardless of position, as the college football season kicks off and we look ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft. He wont always win on explosiveness alone, and he doesnt cover a ton of ground off initial explosions out of cuts. Based on Stroud's performance, in addition to the performances of his receivers, Ohio State could very well be in the College Football Playoff next season. Smith-Njigba played minimally with Bears quarterback Justin Fields at Ohio State in 2020, catching 10 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown that year, but it was his sophomore campaign in 2021 that put him on the map nationally. The freshman quarterback was without two of his top three receivers in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, but that didn't matter as he had one of his most productive games of the season. Stroud, QB, OSU: 37/46 for 572 YDS, 6 TD, 1 INT and 1 CAR for 10 YDS, Cameron Rising, QB, UTAH: 17/22 for 214 YDS, 2 TD and 11 CAR for 92 YDS, 1 TD, Bryson Barnes, QB, UTAH: 2/2 for 23 YDS, 1 TD and 1 CAR for 10 YDS, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, OSU: 15 REC for 346 YDS, 3 TD, Britain Covey, WR, UTAH: 3 REC for 34 YDS, 1 TD and 2 CAR for 10 YDS and 7 KR for 208 YDS, 1 TD, Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, OSU: 6 REC for 71 YDS, 3 TD, Buckeyes Have Bright Future with C.J. Debating NFL draft questions, risers: Concern for Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Kayshon Boutte? After that performance, he was touted as one of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 5 Ohio State over Nebraska", "Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba sets bowl record with 347 receiving yards vs. Utah in Rose Bowl win", "Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba won't play in College Playoff, intends to enter 2023 NFL Draft", "Ohio State's Impactful Nigerian Connections, Relationship with Greg Mattison and Eye-Opening June Visit Were Driving Forces in Tunmise Adeleye's Recruitment", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jaxon_Smith-Njigba&oldid=1141457926, American people of Sierra Leonean descent, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 04:43. Jaxon Smith-Njigba now has the Ohio State record for most receiving yards in a game.
Coming into this season, Ohio State only had four 200-yard receiving games ever. While Smith-Njigba entered the game leading Ohio State with 80 catches for 1,259 yards, he ranked third behind Olave and Wilson with six touchdowns. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Smith-Njigbas snap at the top of his stem is excellent, which allows him to create easy separation. Has good body strength to squirm out of tackles with the coordination to maneuver his frame between defenders. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? Smith-Njigba is a bit of an enigma athletically. Has a knack for getting open and is a quarterback's best friend - passers just need to toss the ball in his area and he'll come down with it. Ohio State star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to miss College Football Playoff matchup versus Georgia See all videos Verified Results Forty 4.59 Seconds The Opening Finals 07/01/19 Shuttle 3.91. Neither Wilson nor Olave was an overwhelming size threat. 11 Utah Utes 48-45 in Saturday's Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to finish the 2021 season with an 11-2 record. - He's a Grade A slot receiver. Stroud and Smith-Njigba are cooking . The sophomore quarterback completed 17 of 22 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 92 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries. In a wide receivers room that also featured reigning 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba led the Buckeyes with 95 receptions, 1,606 receiving yards (16.9 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. Rice is 6-0 200, Flowers is 5-9 180. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. In his final two seasons . Lets find out. Smith-Njigba famously capped his season in style, putting up a Rose Bowl-record 347 receiving yards in the Buckeyes' demolition of USC. He finished the 2021 season with 95 receptions for 1,595. After the departure of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling during the 2022 off-season, many thought that a wide receiver would be on their mind in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. height 6' 0" college Ohio State drafted . Smith-Njigba will need to fine-tune his route running to give himself his best chance to succeed at the next level. Garrett Wilson still maintains that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a better receiver than him or Chris Olave. Career Recap: Ohio State has been loaded with wide receiver talent year after year now, and Smith-Njigba is the program's model for the 2023 NFL Draft. Yes, Smith-Njigba was a slot receiver in college, but that doesnt mean he doesnt have the intangibles to get loose on the boundary. Smith-Njigba is undergoing medical testing at the combine, with coaches and front-office executives monitoring the results on the hamstring injury that limited him in 2022. Both Olave and Wilson, who declared for the NFL draft, will be gone next season, which means players like Smith-Njigba, Harrison and Egbuka will be Stroud's primary receivers in 2022. He averaged 8.3 yards after the catch in 2021 and will likely continue that trend in the NFL. Outrageous Predictions", "Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba's record-setting day sparks No. [16] Smith-Njigba's older brother, Canaan Smith-Njigba, plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB).[17]. He also uses route angles and sudden movements at stems to generate displacement. If anything, Saturday's game showed us the Buckeyes are in good hands moving forward. Emeka Egbuka, another freshman receiver, also had a nice outing with three catches for 46 yards. Hes a fairly easy accelerator who generates solid initial momentum and can freely throttle up and down. After Ohio State was forced to punt on its first two drives of the game, Stroud orchestrated three consecutive touchdown drives before a fumble by Smith-Njigba close to the end zone in the second quarter. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Jaxon Smith-Njigba's NFL Combine profile. Resting on the podium overlooking a gaggle of reporters, Jaxon Smith-Njigba looked a composed figure. [5][6] Smith-Njigba finished his high school career with 5,346 career receiving yards and 82 touchdowns in 44 games played. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is breaking records as he scored the go-ahead touchdown on a right corner fade. pic.twitter.com/jtvAYPnKH5. Those results won't be made public. Smith-Njigba (hamstring) said he's 100 percent healthy, according to ESPN's Turron Davenport. Some projections have him falling into the second round, but he could still be a Round 1 selection. The hamstring injury occurred early in Ohio State's season opener against Notre Dame, and Smith-Njigba went on to play in parts of two more games, finishing the season with five receptions for 43 yards while running a total of 42 receiving routes. It was also the Buckeyes' first game against the Utes since 1986. [1] Smith-Njigba led all high school football players in the DallasFort Worth metroplex with 97 receptions for 1,828 yards and 20 touchdowns in his junior season. When Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a likely first round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, was asked what stood out about his formal interview with the Green and Gold, he said the . Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been widely recognized as one of the top wide receiver prospects in the upcoming draft class after his breakout season in 2021 that saw him outpace two future . Copyright 2019-2023. As a prospect, he rated as the 29th overall prospect. He. A hamstring injury limited him to three games in 2022, though. Fellow Buckeye Jaxon Smith-Njigba most likely won't be a top five pick but he believes he's that type of talent. He has 15 receptions for 92 receiving yards and a score. Fields has also said in interviews this offseason that he'd like to see JSN come to town, which is all the more reason for him to be onChicago's radar. He was replaced by freshman quarterback Bryson Barnes. , Most TD passes in single season by B1G QB, all-time:
50 - Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (2018)
41 - C.J. He already has a rapport with Fields. Rushing. That's a ringing endorsement from a future contemporary. - His recent injury history is certainly a concern. In addition to Stroud, Smith-Njigba, who had a record-setting night, and Marvin Harrison Jr. also had incredible evenings. Jaxon has played on 4 football teams covered by MaxPreps. The sophomore was a supernova against the Utah secondary, hauling in 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns. 1 Pick, The Case for C.J. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the smoothest route runners you'll . Stroud tossed an interception on the opening drive of the second half. "I see myself as a top-five player, not just a receiver. Still, he had earned more . - He's great at getting open on broken plays, as he can often be found scrambling around nearly as much as his quarterback while trying to get open. He caught just five passes for 43 yards in his final season with the Buckeyes, which has some wondering how teams currently view him with his best season over a year removed. Time will tell where he gets drafted, but he's currently one of the more intriguing prospects at wide receiver in the upcoming draft. Seeing him against press coverage in 2021 will be key, but he projects well there. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He can also pinch tight angles around defensive backs while accelerating, showing off valuable ankle flexion. "From playing basketball [as a kid], I feel like my creativity is what sets me apart also. But Kiper shifted gears for his second mock, predicting New England to draft Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said he met with the New England Patriots at the combine and also praised the franchise and Mac Jones. Willing to go up and attack the ball. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Any team investing high draft capital in him knows what they are getting: a high-volume wide receiver that can work both inside and on the perimeter. He was named a starter at the slot receiver position for the Buckeyes going into his sophomore season. [7] A 5 star prospect and the #5 ranked wide receiver in the nation, Smith-Njigba received offers from many top college football programs including Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ole Miss. . NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, in his latest mock draft,has Smith-Njigba going to the Chargers with the No. NFL teams had hoped to see Smith-Njigba run the 40 in Indianapolis to compare him against the rest of the top wide receivers in 2023. Smith-Njigba was born and raised in Rockwall, Texas, and graduated from Rockwall High School. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Runs elite crisp routes with sharp cuts. 2022; 2021; 2020; Career; Splits. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, March 3, 6:39AM. Smith-Njigba is now the Ohio State record holder for the most receiving yards in a game. If production was the only factor, then hed have that title locked down. In 2021, he earned third-team All-America after snagging 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. Former OSU teammate Garrett Wilson the No. 2 Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Ohio State. "I just think my playmaking ability is second to none in this draft," he said. Going further, Smith-Njigba has the play strength to pry the ball away from DBs at the catch point. C.J. Rising didn't have a performance quite like Stroud's, but he's still worth talking about. Jersey Pos #11 WR . Jaxon Smith-Njigba ( / ndb / in-JIG-b; born February 14, 2002), also known by his initials JSN, is an American football wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes. As a freshman, Smith-Njigba was a depth piece who would get a few snaps a game. He has 15 receptions for 92 receiving yards and a score. Additionally, he can violently plant and rotate around at stems with impressive quickness. He had six drops in his 2021 campaign. He only played three games in 2022 due to a lingering. He flashes the ability to stack corners on verticals from the slot easily. 6 Ohio State still trails, 38-31 with the 4th quarter underway. While Stroud ended the first half on a high note, he and the OSU offense got out to a rough start to open the third quarter. historically in the player's position group (Higher value represents better perfomance). 2022; 2021; 2020; Career; 2021 Game Logs * indicates bowl game; 2021 Game Logs Table; Receiving Punt Ret; Rk Date School Opponent Rec Yds Avg TD Ret Yds Avg TD; 1: 2021-09 . Here's everything you need to know about Smith-Njigba's NFL combine performance, measurements and results. [1] The Ohio State WR also has great stop-and-start ability and can break at impressive angles with his loose hips. Moreover, hes a manipulative route runner who can adjust his tempo through reps. Draft analyst Todd McShay reported in December that Smith-Njigba was healthy enough to play in the College Football Playoffs, but chose not to. Do you have a blog? His receiving yard total is a new. Often used on deep routes, getting separation down the sideline or over the middle on crossing routes by extending his arms rather than pure speed. Smith-Njigba showed some star potential in college, especially during the 2021 season in which he finished with 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He can create in minimal space with the best of them. He holds the FBS Bowl Game and Ohio State single game record for most receiving yards with 347 in the 2022 Rose Bowl. He averaged 8.3 yards after the catch in 2021 and will likely continue that trend in the NFL. Let's take a closer look at JSN's draft profile, and whether the Bears should be interested in his services. 6 Ohio State, then-sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had the best receiving performance ever in a bowl game: 347 receiving yards (a single-game bowl record) and three receiving touchdowns on . Good effort and technique as a blocker for his size. Statistics. He has very fluid hips. As a blocker, Smith-Njigba is an energetic and high-effort player. Career; Var 19-20; Var 18-19; Var 17-18; Var 16-17; Career Stats. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. I doubt it matters what anyone thinks of Smith-Njigba because he likely won't be available at 25. Smith-Njigba feels 100% after injury-marred '22, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? He hit .258 with .760 OPS last season, missing almost six weeks with a right thigh injury. STATISTICS. Smith-Njigba was the leading receiver on a team that featured last year's NFL rookie . In 2022, Fields rushed for 1,143 yardsthe second most by a quarterback in NFL historyand eight touchdowns and threw for 2,242 yards with 17 TDs, 11 interceptions and an 85.2 passer rating. The next great one Omg @jaxon_smith1 stop it # . Jaxon Smith-Njigba 2022 stats* 2021 stats REC 95 YDS 1606 TDS 9 *Updated through Nov. 5, 2022 2022 season updates Nov. 2 A hamstring injury has robbed Smith-Njigba of almost his. Stroud is incredible. It should also be noted that the Buckeyes were without a whopping 24 players against Utah for various reasons, which makes their performance even more impressive. TOP 2023 WRs. Hes a route tactician with the route-running chops of an NFL veteran. He understands leverage and can effectively direct DBs away from runners. One of his most impressive plays of the evening was breaking a tackle and rushing for a 62-yard score. He also holds Ohio State records for most catches in a single game with 15 (twice) and most receiving yards in a single season with 1,606 during the 2021 season. NFL teams really only have his 2021 stats (95 . UTAH HITS THE END ZONE FIRST IN THE . ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State) . Jaxon Smith-Njigba Height 6-1 Weight 200 College Ohio State Position WR Class Junior Home town Rockwall, TX 88.3/100 Player Rating 4 PositionRank (WR) FortyYD Time Receptions 5 Rec YDs 43 Rec TDs Rec AVG PLAYER OVERVIEW STATS WORKOUT COMBINE PLAYER NEWS Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Ohio State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report Draft Profile: Bio He made his MLB debut in 2022. ", Smith-Njigba feels 100% after injury-marred '22, Jones: Not fixated on Cowboys' drought, just '23, Sources: Raiders plan franchise tag for Jacobs, WR Addison to Steelers' Pickett: 'Come get me', Wolverines' Turner wows with 4.26 40 at combine, Top QB prospect Levis eager to unleash 'cannon', QB Bennett addresses off-field issues at combine, Campbell: Lamar wants deal done with Ravens, Alabama QB Young undeterred by size questions, The most memorable pre-NFL draft workouts ever: Coaches, scouts, execs make their picks, 2023 NFL franchise tag tracker: Raiders tag Josh Jacobs, the NFL's rushing leader, Browns' offense: Grading positions ahead of free agency, 2023 draft, Jaguars won't spend big, but here are five players they could target in free agency. - His route running is superior to most wideouts in this draft class. Smith-Njigba was limited to just three games in 2022 due to a hamstring injury and his decision to not participate in the College Playoff. Has enough straight-line speed and takes advantage of open seams when his quarterback is on target. In 44 high school games, Smith-Njigba racked up 5,346 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns. Standing at 60, 198 pounds, Smith-Njigba fits the Ohio State mold thats been reinforced in previous cycles. Garrett Wilson in 2021 on Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba turned down offers from multiple in-state schools and decided to take his talents to Columbus.