Availability Report: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Out For Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ohio State junior wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is out for today’s game against Penn State.

Smith-Njigba played last week against Iowa, but was removed after about 20 snaps after appearing to show some type of leg discomfort on the sideline after a deep route. Head coach Ryan Day said after the game that Smith-Njigba was on a “pitch count” after missing the previous three games due to a hamstring injury that he suffered in the season opener against Notre Dame. It was just the third game in which he’d seen action this season.

Without him, the Buckeyes will once again go to their now-trusty trio of Emeka Egbuka in the slot and Julian Fleming and Marvin Harrison, Jr. out wide. Egbuka leads the team with 41 receptions on the season and is third in the Big Ten with 735 yards receiving. Harrison, meanwhile, is second nationally with 10 touchdown receptions and his 38 receptions for 598 yards are both second on the Buckeyes.

Fleming missed the first two games of the season, but has caught a touchdown in every game he’s played. He has 17 receptions for 327 yards and six touchdowns in five games this year.

Also missing for the Buckeyes is fifth-year senior cornerback Cameron Brown. Brown also missed last week’s game against Iowa and has been injured off-and-on this season. Ohio State returned sophomore cornerback Jordan Hancock last week which has helped in Brown’s absence.

The Buckeyes will also be without starting long snapper Bradley Robinson. Robinson suffered a leg injury in last week’s win over the Hawkeyes. He was replaced by Mason Arnold in that game and will be again this week. Robinson is a seventh-year senior who has been remarkably consistent in his time at Ohio State.

Notably not on the report from OSU this week is redshirt freshman wide receiver Jayden Ballard, who left the game last week with some sort of leg injury.

There are no game-time decisions this week.

Here is the full list of players who are unavailable against Penn State today.

Game-Time Decisions

None.

Unavailable

DE Omari Abor
WR Kamryn Babb
CB Cameron Brown
WR Caleb Burton
RB TC Caffey
WR Corban Cleveland
CB Lloyd McFarquhar
LB/DE Mitchell Melton
LB Teradja Mitchell
LB Jalen Pace
RB Evan Pryor
LS Bradley Robinson
TE Joe Royer
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
SAF Kourt Williams

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