Columbus, OH Jaxon Smith Njigba has only played one season at The Ohio State University, and he is already the best wide receiver I’ve ever seen in the Scarlet and Gray, hear me out.
A Historic Matchup
I get asked why I’m an Ohio State fan a lot. To be fair it is a great question, I have no ties to the state, I’ve never been to Ohio and none of my family members attended the University, to my knowledge.
My fandom goes back to 2004 when the Buckeyes went to my home state Arizona and defeated the University of Miami 31-24 to win the National Championship. This was a historic game and has been featured in multiple different ESPN 30 for 30s.
The hype for this double-overtime thriller is so prominent in college football history that it still gets replayed on ESPN nearly 15 years later.
My Ohio State Origin Story
I would love to say that my memory of the game is having my mind blown by all the future NFL talent on the field, or that I remember any of the iconic moments from this legendary matchup. However, that would be a lie.
I watched the game on television only because I knew my parents were going to see it in person and I played go fish with my sister during a large majority of it.
I rooted for Ohio State because I thought their helmets were cool, and boom 7,158 days later, I still think their helmets are cool, and I’m still a fan.
With all that being said, since then, I have watched the Buckeyes every single year, and I am very confident in saying Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the best Ohio State wide receiver I have ever seen.
One Chance, Multiple Broken Records
The 2022 Rose Bowl was another historic game for the Buckeyes, though it did not seem that way to begin with.
After a disappointing loss to Michigan, Ohio State was out of National Championship contention, so thinking about their future, star wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson sat out to not risk injury for the NFL draft.
This left sophomore Smith-Njigba with an opportunity to show a preview of what the offense will look like with him as the undisputed number one wide receiver, and he did not disappoint.
Smith-Njigba set the college football world and record books on fire with a historic stat line of 15 receptions, 347 yards, and three touchdowns as Rose Bowl MVP leading Ohio State to a 48-45 victory over Utah University in an instant classic.
Smith-Njigba broke multiple records during this performance: the most receiving yards ever in a Rose Bowl game, the most receiving yards in any bowl game in college football history and the Ohio State record for most receiving yards in a game, previously held by Terry Glenn.
The college football world took immediate notice of Smith-Njigba’s legendary performance.
A Breakout Year
While Smith-Njigba became a known superstar in the football world through that performance, Ohio State fans had known he was special for months.
Wilson had played with multiple different NFL players during his time at the University and still had his highest praise for Smith-Njigba even before he started a single game that season.
During his freshman season, the Buckeyes had a crowded receiver room featuring three NFL wide receivers, so Smith-Njigba did not get his opportunity to shine until his sophomore year, but a noticeable trend with him is when he gets his chance, he makes history.
In his first year as a starter, Smith-Njigba broke multiple Ohio State records, such as the record for most receiving yards in a season (1,606 yards), previously held by David Boston.
Smith-Njigba also broke the OSU record for most receptions in a year (95), previously held by Paris Campbell.
He finished second in receiving yards per game in the nation with 123.5 and averaged an insane 16.5 yards per reception.
Looking Ahead
With all the records Smith-Njigba has broken, what is most impressive to me is that he did it during his first year as a starter. The expectations are high for Smith-Njigba, now being the unquestioned leader of the Ohio State wide receiver room.
However, Olave has no doubt what the star will do with this new opportunity, stating,
“That’s legendary to do that in the rose bowl. That’s what Jaxon can do and I’m excited to watch him do it all season next year.’’ Per clevelandsports.com
Every time Smith-Njigba has been given an opportunity, he makes history, so my advice is to sit back, watch the show, and don’t play go-fish during his games.
