Jaxon Smith-Njigba took over the NFL in 2026 and, on the cusp of the Super Bowl, credited his time in Columbus as a big reason for his success.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been the story of the NFL in 2025.
From Week One to the Super Bowl, he has shown that he is a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver and has now entered the conversation as one of the best wideouts in the NFL.
It has been interesting to watch over the past couple of seasons, watching the dominant wide receiver shift from a guy like DK Metcalf, who is just bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone, to the route technician. Guys like JSN, Jamarr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and others stand out while not standing above the competition.
How did Smith-Njigba reach the pinnacle of the position and stand on the doorstep of football immortality? Well, a lot of it calls back to his time at Ohio State.
"Growing as a young man and finding myself during those college days... Competing at Ohio State and the development at Ohio State is second to none."
The proof of that statement is in the pudding. Ohio State simply churns out elite talent, especially at the wide receiver position.
Over the last decade, the Buckeyes have been a wide receiver factory. From Terry McClaurin, to JSN and Emeka Egbuka, the Buckeyes have a pipeline to the league, all while having Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith in the holster is a list to behold.
Each of those players have game changing talent, but only a couple have had the chance to showcase it. The blessing of going to Ohio State is that you get the benefit of being a top draft pick, but the curse is that you often land on a team that might not be ready to win right away.
JSN is in just his third year and has already elevated his game to the top of the league. Year one was a bit of a feeling-out period where he "only" had 628 yards receiving and just four touchdowns.
Then, in year two, he exploded for 100 catches, 1,130 yards, and six scores, setting up his career year three. This year, he has 119 catches, 1,793 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
He has shown to be completely unguardable at times, and when the chips are down, and Seattle needs a play, they are going to No. 11.
Sunday night, Smith-Njigba has a chance to scratch his name into football immortality for the rest of his life. Seattle will need him to have a big game if they want to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, and if he does, he will compete one of the best seasons in the history of NFL football.
All of that can be credited to his time at Ohio State.