Ohio State's 2020 recruiting class is already off to a hot start, and things got even better tonight when four-star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba made his intentions known. A 6-foot-1, 188-pounder from Rockwall, Texas, he became the first wideout to pledge for Urban Meyer's 2020 class that is now up to No. 2 in the nation.
Smith-Njigba holds offers from programs like Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and Nebraska. He's listed as the country's 59th-best wide receiver and No. 288 overall prospect. Let's take a closer look at what his commitment means for Ohio State's recruiting efforts.
ON THE FIELD
At 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, Smith-Njigba may not be the biggest receiver you've ever watched. But he sure does play like it. The Texan can adjust his body accordingly, he comes back to the ball well and his speed after the catch will be a significant problem for opponents to deal with. He plays with toughness, has great hands and is tough to tackle in the open field.
As a junior, Smith-Njigba finished with 1,328 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 83 receptions, an average of 16 yards per catch.
He started this season on an incredibly high note, catching 12 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns in Rockwall's season opener. But that was just the beginning. He followed that performance by scoring three times and racking up 167 more receiving yards.
So far this season, he's tallied 75 receptions for 1,372 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those numbers include games where he's recorded 223, 167, 289, 158, 122 and 218 receiving yards.
All in all, he's responsible for 1,859 total yards —156 rushing, 110 kick return, 174 punt return and 47 interception return — and 21 total touchdowns.
IN THE CLASS
Smith-Njigba is the first receiver to join Ohio State's 2020 recruiting class but certainly not the last. The Buckeyes currently have 24 offers out to wide receivers in the class, including the nation's top prospect at the position in Julian Fleming, as well as top targets Rakim Jarrett and A.J. Henning.
Rashawn Williams and Devell Washington, both Michigan prospects, are also in the mix.
In the 2019 class, Ohio State boasts two top-level prospects in Lake Travis' Garrett Wilson and Cardinal Ritter's Jameson Williams. When Smith-Njigba joins those two, in 2021, the Buckeyes could possibly have Kamryn Babb, Jaylen Harris, De'Shawn White, Jaelen Gill, Demario McCall, Chris Olave and Elijah Gardner in the mix. Only Olave and McCall have seen extended playing time this season so far.
Wilson and Williams will have an immediate chance to earn playing time upon their arrival. The same will go for Smith-Njigba. And, if the Buckeyes are able to add any of their top targets in the 2020 class beside Smith-Njigba's name, it could give fellow 2020 commit Jack Miller, a pro-style quarterback out of Chaparral (Az.) an elite list to to throw the ball to.
Signing day is still 16 months away, but the early expectation is that the Buckeyes will take at least four wide receivers for 2020. When Smith-Njigba committed, Ohio State's 2020 class went from the third-ranked recruiting class in the country to the second-ranked class, behind just Miami (FL).
THE INTANGIBLES
Smith-Njigba isn't just a great wide receiver. He's also a high-caliber person ... exactly the type of person that Urban Meyer and Brian Hartline strive to bring into their program.
Oh, and he loves Columbus.
Upon his offer from the Buckeyes on Sept. 17, he told Eleven Warriors, "I was very excited because I’ve been waiting on this one." A sense of family has also always been important to him. When he committed Sunday evening, he told Lettermen Row, "The coaching staff made me feel like family and I know they want someone to get the wide receiver recruiting popping in 2020, like Garrett Wilson did in 2019. They’ve said they wanted that to be me. They want me to be a guy that says ‘let’s go get this guy’ and help bring in other players.”
As you can tell, he seems to just "get it."
Sure, he can catch the football like nobody's business and Ohio State will certainly benefit from his commitment on the field. But off the field, the Buckeyes are getting an ambassador for their football team and university and someone who will be a leader in the classroom.
