Look at the wide receivers that have come through Ohio State and are now having success in the NFL.
It’s not a coincidence. If you come to Ohio State, you will be coached and developed into a strong wide receiver prospect. Then, you will be ready to shine in the NFL. Consider Ohio State Wide Receiver University.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the latest and, perhaps, best example of Ohio State’s wide receiver development.
This year’s Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks,
Smith-Njigba, is emerging as one of the three best wide receivers in the NFL. If you watched him at Ohio State, it shouldn’t be a surprise what he’s doing with the Seahawks.
This season, Smith-Njigba had 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. Further, he has 10 games with 100+ receiving yards, with one of those coming in the NFC Championship. Smith-Njigba also had 10 games with 10+ receptions.
In Ohio State’s 2021 season, JSN had 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. Smith-Njigba put on one of the greatest receiving displays in football history at the Rose Bowl, with 15 receptions for 347 yards and three touchdowns. That’s an average of 23.1 yards per reception, and it was the final game of a five-game stretch where he had at least 100 receiving yards. He had 15 receptions for 240 yards and a touchdown against Nebraska.
Now with the Seahawks, Smith-Njigba has quickly risen to superstar status. He had over 1,000 yards in his second season in 2024, along with 100 receptions. Nine times, Smith-Njigba went over 60 yards.
Smith-Njigba could be in for a huge payday this offseason, and he could reset the wide receiver market in the process. More importantly, he’s now a Super Bowl champion. His status as an elite wide receiver is firmly entrenched, and Smith-Njigba is only just beginning the prime of his career.
There have been many great wide receivers who have come through Ohio State and have gone on to have success in the NFL. Smith-Njigba may be the most prominent based on what he did this season. He’s the card-carrier of Ohio State wide receivers in the NFL, validating Ohio State as Wide Receiver University.
If you questioned it before, you shouldn’t now.
