Pete Thamel: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Julian Fleming unlikely to play vs. Arkansas State

Ohio State fans beware, Pete Thamel delivered some disappointing news on College GameDay regarding wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming.

According to Thamel, the talented duo is expected to rest against the Red Wolves, although they’ll try to give it a go during warmups.

“Jaxon Smith-Njigba, I was told by sources at Ohio State yesterday, is unlikely to play against Arkansas State,” stated Thamel. “He may warm up and try to give it a go, but there’s a lot of skepticism on whether we’ll see him and wide receiver Julian Fleming, who’s Ohio State’s fourth receiver and one of the more talented wide receivers in the country.

“I would classify both as unlikely to play, both of them potentially coming back for Toledo, ahead of their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin in Week 4.”

While the Buckeyes will still likely take care of business against Arkansas — they’re currently going off as 44-point favorites — Ohio State will want their wide receivers back into the fold for their tougher opponents in 2022. Luckily, Thamel added both Smith-Njigba and Fleming could be back ahead of their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin.

Ryan Day opens up on how hard it is not having Jaxon Smith-Njigba, praises team for response

Moreover, the loss of Jaxon Smith-Njigba to injury for most of their opening victory over Notre Dame was more than just an absence on the field for Ohio State. One of the focal points of the Buckeyes offense and arguably the best wide receiver in America, Smith-Njigba is also leader for Ohio State and someone the Buckeyes know makes their offense hum.

His head coach, Ryan Day, expounded on what the loss of Smith-Nijgba meant on Saturday night and at large. Day said you have to be willing to accept that the unknown, and unfortunate, can strike and you better be ready to adapt.

“Like you said, you kind of have to move on,” Day said. “And there’s just different things that happen to you. And we talk a lot about the events that are going to happen. The adversity that’s coming our way. And the only thing that we can control is our response. There’s nothing we can do about what happened. Whether it’s a moment in the game, the score of the game at halftime, or something that happens to your teammate like that.

“So we try to focus on the response so that we get the best outcome that we want. That being said, it’s not always easy, especially when you have a leader and someone who makes such an impact. So, you know, some hurt more than others. Some situations are harder than others.”