Jaxon Smith-Njigba ruled out for Buckeyes clash with Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Ohio State star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba returned to action last week — his first time on the field since Week Three.
The return was short-lived, and now Smith-Njigba is back on the shelf, unavailable for the Buckeyes showdown against Penn State on Saturday afternoon.
When asked Tuesday whether Smith-Njigba would be available for the Buckeyes on Saturday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day said it was ‘the plan.’ But things have certainly changed since then. Now Smith-Njigba is back on the unavailable list for the Buckeyes most important game of the season.
It’s another setback for the preseason Biletnikoff Award favorite and early pick for All-American status, who has just five catches for 43 yards this season. He worked to get back last week, but he left the win over Iowa with visible issues after 22 snaps.
“He’s always been trying to get back out there,” Day said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. “He’s a competitor, and it’s been hard for him not to be out there more. But we wanted to make sure that we kept that number to right about 20 and make sure we didn’t put him out there more.”
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Now Smith-Njigba won’t be out there at all on Saturday for the Buckeyes. He is back on the shelf after just one game back on the field.
The frustrating, injury-filled season for the Ohio State superstar continues.
Other availability report notes
On the defensive side of the ball, captain and senior defensive end Tyler Friday will be back available for the first time since the first month of the season. He will give the surging defensive line yet another rotational body to choose from when rolling defensive linemen into the game.
Ohio State will still be without starting cornerback Cameron Brown for the second straight game. He missed the win over Iowa last week, and Jordan Hancock and JK Johnson played cornerback in his place.
Long snapper Bradley Robinson is unavailable after suffering a knee injury last week.
The full availability report from the program is now confirmed, making note that Ohio State doesn’t detail injury or disciplinary matters.
Ohio State Game-Time Decision
N/A
Unavailable for Buckeyes
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
DE Omari Abor
WR Kamryn Babb
CB Cameron Brown
WR Caleb Burton
RB TC Caffey
WR Corban Cleveland
DB Lloyd McFarquhar
EDGE Mitchell Melton
LB Teradja Mitchell
LB Jalen Pace
RB Evan Pryor
LS Brad Robinson
TE Joe Royer
DB Kourt Williams
