Jaxon Smith-Njigba details growth he's seen from defensive back group

Expectations are high for Ohio State entering the 2022 season, and a lot of that is due to the star-studded Buckeyes offense, which includes quarterback CJ Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, among others. Having such a talented offense makes it tough in practice for Ohio State’s defense, but it also provides a great opportunity to get better.

Whether it’s running the ball or throwing, Ohio State has plenty of options on offense. As the Buckeyes prepare for the season and camp gets underway, the defensive unit is showing great signs of improvement. Smith-Njigba has seen that improvement firsthand, and he is a big fan of what Ohio State’s coaching staff has done to help out on defense.

“Definitely growth,” Smith-Njigba said of Ohio State’s defensive backs. “I feel like the coaching staff that came in have done a great job. I feel like they’re more confident. I felt that in the spring and we’re going to see in fall camp. I mean we’ve got some very talented guys that are eager and ready to play and prove a lot of people wrong. They’re coming with that fire, so we’ll see.”

Last season, Smith-Njigba broke out in a big way with 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 16.9 yards per reception, putting himself firmly in the conversation as one of the top wide receivers in all of college football.

Smith-Njigba isn’t alone in seeing improvement from Ohio State defense

While Ohio State featured arguably the best offense in all of college football last season, the Buckeyes defense was inconsistent at times. They allowed 366.6 total yards per game, the sixth-worst total in the Big Ten. Ohio State’s secondary also yielded 246.9 yards per game, ranking as the third-worst total in the conference.

With new faces on the field and on the sidelines, though, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day thinks that the Buckeyes are turning a corner on defense under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Smith-Njigba has seen that progress already during practice, and Day’s recent remarks on the unit express serious optimism entering the year.

“In terms of expectations, we expect a top 10 defense,” Day said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days. “When we’ve played our best football, it’s because we’ve played really good defense, We’ve been balanced and played complimentary football. We want to obviously stop the run to begin with and go from there, but we expect a top 10 defense.”