Ohio State freshman Jaxon Smith-Njigba might have the catch of the year
By Zane Harris
Ohio State has an elite crop of freshman receivers, and one of them already might have the catch of the year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba made a big splash in his first-ever collegiate game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite only pulling in two catches for a total of five yards and a touchdown, he might have made a catch that taken the forefront of the Catch of the Year race so early in the Buckeye season.
In a play with the Buckeyes close to the goalline, it appears that Buckeye quarterback Justin Fields was simply throwing the ball away for a chance to regroup and take another shot at the end zone on the next play.
However, coming out of nowhere was Ohio State freshman Jaxson Smith-Njibga snagging the ball after showing off his vertical. Possible even more impressive than the catch was the toe-tap that he pulled off on the way down to give the Buckeyes another touchdown in what would end up being a 52-17 rout of Nebraska
Smith-Njigba had an incredible high school career as many eventual Ohio State recruits had. Over his four years at Rockwall High School, Smith-Njigba totaled 296 catches for 5,384 yards, 63 receiving touchdowns, and 76 total touchdowns.
His high school career peaked in his senior season in which he pulled in 109 catches for 2,132 yards and 34 receiving touchdowns. He was a factor in Rockwell High School’s rushing attack as well. In his senior year, he ran for 132 yards and four touchdowns on only 32 carries.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s senior stats were enough to earn him the title of Gatorade Texas Player of the Year. Going into the recruiting process, Smith-Njigba was a five-star prospect, earning a .9856 from 24/7 sports. He was nationally ranked 29th in the entire country, the 5th overall receiver, and the 5th best player in Texas for the recruiting class of 2020.
Related Story. Ohio State's wide receivers cannot be stopped. light
However, before Smith-Njigba had even taken a single snap of his final season with Rockwell, he was already committed to play with the Buckeyes in 2020.
Along with Ohio State, he received offers from Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas Tech, TCU, Stanford, Virginia, Arizona State, University of California, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, Boston College, and Kansas.
Although it appears that he will not get much playing time in his freshman year if the first game is any indicator, Smith-Njigba will be a huge factor for the Buckeyes further down the line.
One of his scouting reports from Gabe Brooks described him as a player who, “Owns above average size with a solid build. Technically sound receiver with good size and massive production against strong competition in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Adjusts impressively to the ball in flight. Shows encouraging hands-catching consistency. Fairly quick off the line and effectively subtle in downfield routes. Often gets defender leaning and sells the DB one way to get separation. Possesses adequate top-end speed verified in a combine environment. Flashes impressive lateral mobility that manifests in his ability to get yards after the catch in the short and intermediate levels, as well as the screen game. Can line up in multiple spots in the formation. Drives on routes to leverage defenders into bad spots”.
Next. Ohio State could land top QB in 2022 class. dark
He is a player that is currently being compared to Roddy White and is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2023 or 2024 NFL draft. Ohio State fans should be very excited to see what Smith-Njigba will accomplish with the Buckeyes. As well as looking forward to more show-stopping highlight plays like the catch and toe-tap he made against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.