Jaxon Smith-Njigba Named to SI All-American Team

Jaw-dropping plays and even better statistics back up one of the top senior campaigns in the country in wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Author:
John Garcia, Jr.
Publish date:
Dec 16, 2019

While his spectacular season and playoff run came to an end this weekend, folks in Texas and well beyond will talk about Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 2019 season.

Plenty of accolades have already come in for the Rockwall (Tex.) star, including a spot on the inaugural SI All-American roster, following a senior explosion that became national football news each week.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver, a longtime Ohio State commitment, wrapped up his senior season over the 100-catch mark en route to 2,094 yards and 34 touchdowns. The gaudy final prep campaign put his career totals among the best in Lone Star State history, hauling in more than 5,000 yards and 60 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

Smith-Njigba racked up 20 scholarship offers before picking the Buckeyes in November 2018. He never publicly wavered on the pledge and will begin his career in Columbus as an early-enrollee come January. The OSU haul out wide, including fellow SI All-American Julian Fleming, may be the best in the country from both a pure talent and production standpoint.

As of this writing, Smith-Njigba finished the 2019 season as the nation's No. 2 leading pass catcher in terms of yardage behind only Oklahoma commitment Marvin Mims

Why Smith-Njigba is an All-American:

The allure of Texas High School football draws eyes from coast to coast and few have commanded the attention in 2019 like Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Ohio State wide receiver commitment exceeded the 2,000-yard, 30-TD mark before finishing a dozen games in 2019 despite being the focal point of just about every defense he lined up against.

Not the biggest or fastest, Smith simply gets the job done. He’s a power player, lower-body dominant with plus athleticism and very strong hands. A crisp route-runner with the ability to stop and start at will, he may be even better once he gets his hands on the football. There are running back-like instincts at play, as he runs with great balance to pair with a classic north-south style.

The physicality he plays with will allow for some collegiate work both in the slot and the outside once at Ohio State. Once there, he could have a similar trajectory of another great out-of-state talent who played wideout in the Buckeye State before a long NFL career—Pierce Garcon. The Buckeye haul at wide receiver could contend for top position group in the class of 2020 and the steadiness of Smith is a major reason why.

2019 SI All-American Offensive Team:

QB Bryce Young, Alabama (Why Young? Highlights)

RB Demarckus Bowman, Clemson (Why Bowman? Highlights)

RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Georgia Tech (Why Gibbs? Highlights)

WR Julian Fleming, Ohio State (Why Fleming? Highlights)

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State (Why Smith-Njigba? Highlights)

WR Malachi Wideman, FSU (Why Wideman? Highlights)

TE Arik Gilbert, LSU (Why Gilbert? Highlights)

OL Paris Johnson, Ohio State (Why Johnson? Highlights)

OL Tate Ratledge, UGA (Why Ratledge? Highlights)

OL Javion Cohen, Alabama (Why Cohen? Highlights)

OL Issiah Walker, Florida (Why Walker? Highlights)