The question of yes or no for Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been answered and unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it will be a no to the question of JSN’s availability for the upcoming Peach Bowl and College Football Playoff run.
A statement provided by The Ohio State University on Monday afternoon announced that Smith-Njigba will not play in the bowl game and will instead ‘continue to rehabilitate a season-long injury while preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft.’
So that statement also answers any questions of a potential return by Smith-Njigba for an additional season, a similar route to what Chris Olave did a couple of seasons ago.
“I want to thank Jaxon for all he has done for our Ohio State program,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said via statement. “He has had such a major impact here in Columbus, on and off the field, in a relatively short period of time. We all know he has a very bright future ahead of him and we all support him as he moves forward with his career.”
It was 11 months ago that Smith-Njigba took the college football world by storm with his performance in the Rose Bowl, a game where he set records with 347 receiving yards and 15 receptions along with three scores in Ohio State’s 48-45 win over Pac-12 champion Utah.
JSN ends his Ohio State career with 110 receptions, close to 1,700 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in the Scarlet and Gray.
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