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Jaxon Smith-Njigba injury update: Ohio State wide receiver's status for Week 5

Ohio State wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba is nursing a hamstring injury
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Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will not play in the Buckeyes' game against Rutgers on Saturday, according to a report from ESPN.

Smith-Njigba is still dealing with the effects of a hamstring injury he suffered early in the season, and Ohio State trainers are handling his case with extreme caution to ensure he's healthy for the later part of the season.

The team has not announced a set return date or an estimated recovery timeline for the wide receiver, but trainers will evaluate him again over the next several days.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba injury update

Ohio State goes to Michigan State next week and is idle the Saturday after that, and there is a belief that Smith-Njigba will be fully healed and ready to play in full contact situation by the time OSU plays Iowa on Oct. 22.

Smith-Njigba is considered one of the premier wide receivers in college football this season. He's coming off a superb 2021 campaign in which he led the Buckeyes with 1,606 receiving yards and over 123 yards per game, despite the presence of future 1st round NFL Draft picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson also being on the team.

So far this fall, he has four catches for 36 yards in two appearances.

Where Ohio State is offensively without JSN

That hasn't stopped Ohio State from still developing one of the most productive passing offenses in college football this season.

OSU has the No. 2 total offense in the nation so far, averaging 558.8 yards per game and boasts the No. 3 ranked scoring offense at 48.8 points per game.

Emeka Egbuka leads the team with 26 receptions and 442 yards while Marvin Harrison, Jr. has 21 catches for 387 yards, and both have five touchdown catches each.

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(ESPN)


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