Ohio State’s Ryan Day Says Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Injury “Not A Long-Term Thing”

"We’re evaluating him this week and hoping to have him back this Saturday."

Author:
Andrew Lind
Sep 5, 2022 4:56 PM EDT

In this story:

During an appearance on Big Ten Network on Monday afternoon, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said that junior wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s leg injury is “not a long-term thing” and they're hopeful he'll be available for Saturday’s game against Arkansas State.

“We’re evaluating him this week and hoping to have him back this Saturday,” Day said. “Having him as part of our offense is a big deal and he makes such an impact. Not too many guys you can say at the wide receiver makes everybody else on the field better, but Jaxon does.

“It was great to see some guys step up in his absence, but it’s not a long-term thing and we’ll evaluate him throughout the week and hope to have him on Saturday.”

Smith-Njigba was injured on a four-yard reception in the first quarter of Saturday’s 21-10 win over Notre Dame. He could be seen riding a stationary bike and running sprints on the sideline before returning for a series in the second quarter, when he caught another pass for a loss of one yard before exiting the game for good.

Day did not reveal the extent of Smith-Njigba’s injury, though 247Sports’ Chris Hummer reported that he suffered a low-grade hamstring injury and would miss “a game or two.” The Buckeyes host the Red Wolves this weekend and Toledo on Sept. 17 before welcoming Wisconsin to Ohio State for the Big Ten opener on Sept. 24.

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