• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2022 Rose Bowl MVP, Seattle Seahawks)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Jaxon isn't the only athlete in the family:

Pirates Recall Canaan Smith-Njigba

287369875_998731357451966_5427624623960022081_n.jpg


Pittsburgh also recalled outfield prospect Canaan Smith-Njigba.

Smith-Njigba is also up for his first big league look. Pittsburgh added the Dallas native to their 40-man roster to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, but he’s spent the entire season thus far in Indianapolis. A former 4th-round pick of the Yankees, Smith-Njigba went to the Bucs as part of the January 2021 trade that landed Jameson Taillon in the Bronx. Baseball America has slotted him near the back of the Pirates top 30 prospects in each of the past two years, writing that his combination of bat-to-ball skills and raw power could give him a chance to carve out a role in a corner outfield rotation.

Through 218 plate appearances in Triple-A, Smith-Njigba is hitting .277/.387/.408. He’s walked in a robust 15.1% of his plate appearances against an average 23.9% strikeout rate. The left-handed hitter has only one home run with Indianapolis, but he nevertheless did enough to convince the front office he merited a major league look. He’ll take the active roster spot of Swaggerty, a former first-rounder and another notable prospect who was promoted for the first time on June 4. The South Alabama product appeared in five games, collecting a hit in nine at-bats before being sent down.

Entire article: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/06/pirates-select-jason-delay-recall-canaan-smith-njigba.html
 
Upvote 0


STRENGTHS
  • What jumps out watching Smith-Njigba is he checks all the boxes as a complete slot receiver. He possesses elite route running skills and always stems himself open, sometimes two times, to create more space.
  • Exceptional hands and loves to attack the ball and tracks the deep ball equally as well.
  • Elite burst and twitch in condensed spaces and can start and stop on a dime. Having elite short-area quickness is a coveted trait at the next level as he will have to beat man coverage more than he sees currently.
  • JSN maximizes his opportunities and can turn a seven-yard stick route into a 75-yard gain, like he did vs Nebraska last year. His yards after contact and yards after catch are special. That’s because he has incredible spatial awareness and just has a knack for feeling out defenders’ weakness and either avoiding them or stiff-arming them off of him.
  • Like all of Ohio State’s elite wideouts, JSN is a more-than-a willing blocker.
WEAKNESS

Not a lot to be seen here as he checks all the boxes for me currently. I don’t see him get caught much and I don't see his speed as a problem but I don’t see game-breaking, world-class speed. He plays fast in pads and that’s all that matters to me. Here are a few other thoughts as we try to pick nits:
  • Being the No. 1 target this year, it will be interesting to see how teams approach defending Smith-Njigba. He goes from being a threat on a loaded unit to THE threat on another solid unit.
  • This isn’t a weakness but Ryan Day is either the ultimate schemer or some of the defenses Ohio State plays are really lacking as he is open by five to 10 yards on a ton of his receptions. JSN runs tons of crossers, shallows, and mesh routes and it’s catch-and-run with a lot of green grass ahead of him. Day also utilizes JSN’s skills with jet-sweeps and bubble screens in matchups in an easy way for his playmaker to get advantageous numbers.
  • Obviously, the NFL will look a lot different but there is nothing he can do but continue to dominate with players that have no chance against him.
 
Upvote 0


Jaxon Smith-Njigba entered the 2021 season as an unproven but highly-touted sophomore receiver expected to be a key cog alongside elite proven talents in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

When the dust settled on the 2021 season however, Smith-Njigba outperformed his stellar receiving-mates, both of whom went on to be selected early in the first round of the NFL Draft.

So what did it take to outshine two elite first rounders? How about setting single-season school records for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606) while putting on an absolute clinic over the final five games. Against the likes of Nebraska, Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan and Utah, Smith-Njigba went scorched earth, amassing 60 catches for 958 yards (and six touchdowns).

Now entering his third, and almost-assuredly, final season in Columbus, Smith-Njigba owns a 1,000-yard season, seven 100-yard games, 105 catches and 1,655 yards.

With another season of elite production, Smith-Njigba has a shot at setting a host of career receiving marks at Ohio State.

FIRST OHIO STATE RECEIVER TO POST TWO 1,000-YARD SEASONS

CAREER RECEPTIONS

CAREER RECEIVING YARDS

CAREER RECEPTIONS PER GAME

CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES

CONSECUTIVE 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES




 
Upvote 0
During 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills on Thursday, Fleming took all of the first-team reps at Z receiver, with Marvin Harrison Jr. starting at X receiver and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the slot.

Players who took first-team reps with the punting unit included Mitch Rossi, Mitchell, Eichenberg, Chambers, Xavier Johnson, Kourt Williams, Fleming, Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr., Cade Stover and Bennett Christian.

Observations from Watching A Full Ohio State Practice for the First Time in 2022 | Eleven Warriors
 
Upvote 0
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CJ Stroud land signature collectors card deals

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and CJ Stroud are getting a sweet collectors card deal to be released on Friday.

Wednesday morning, collector card company Onyx Authenticated revealed a set of 4 custom cards for the Ohio State duo. In addition to standard editions, Onyx Authenticated is also selling autographed versions and versions with bases for display.

The set of 4 cards includes red, white and black backgrounds for each athlete and the fourth card is dedicated to the home state of Stroud and Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba’s pays homage to his Texas roots with the state flag in the background while Stroud’s has a nice California backdrop.



Entire article: https://saturdaytradition.com/ohio-...joUA_WtKz77GFc-qmv8Of92m55OIb686Ck_njRrVuIZYk
 
Upvote 0
TREVEYON HENDERSON, PARIS JOHNSON JR., JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, C.J. STROUD AND DAWAND JONES NAMED PRESEASON ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICANS

Five Ohio State players received preseason All-American honors from the Associated Press on Monday.

Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back TreVeyon Henderson and offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. are all first-team selections, while quarterback C.J. Stroud and offensive tackle Dawand Jones made the second team.

Ohio State had the second-most players represented across the first and second teams with five, while No. 1-ranked Alabama led the way with six players.


Entering this season as Ohio State's clear No. 1 wideout, Smith-Njigba had a breakout season for the Buckeyes last year, setting single-season school records for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606).


https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...dawand-jones-named-preseason-ap-all-americans
 
Upvote 0
Big Ten football players generating most buzz ahead of 2022 season

JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, WR - OHIO STATE
10732499.jpg


Over the last few years, Smith-Njigba was a part of a Buckeyes wide receiver room that featured plenty of superstars. He was always good but was behind some of his teammates. Then 2021 happened. More specifically, the Rose Bowl happened. Smith-Njigba went off in that game as future first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave sat out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Smith-Njigba is next in line. Last season, he finished with 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 16.9 yards per reception. What’s in store for an encore? We can’t wait to find out this season.

Entire article: https://247sports.com/college/ohio-...z-ahead-of-2022-season-192025732/#192025732_1
 
Upvote 0
I got a feeling this year will be less productive stat-wise than last but he'll still be the best WR on the draft board come the spring. I think route man Marv has a better stat season because of JSN's skills. His draft position will not suffer
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top