There is plenty of hype around the quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes and for good reason. C.J. Stroud was among the Heisman finalists a season ago and should be among the nation’s best once again. Alongside Stroud in the backfield, you will find one of the top backs in the country, TreyVeon Henderson.
However, as much praise as that duo is receiving the wideouts could be among the best in the country. After watching Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave leave for the NFL, there shouldn’t be much concern in terms of production. This year it will be about Marvin Harrison Jr and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The latter had a monster game against the Utah Utes in the Rose Bowl.
He finished with 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and 9 touchdowns. Against the Utes, Smith-Njigba hauled in 15 passes for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns. He will be a name to look out for on the Biletnikoff watch list. Recently, the Buckeyes duo was named the top group in the country by 247Sports.
What 247Sports Says…
Production projection: 156 catches, 2,527 yards, 27 TDs
The word: By now, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a household name and preseason Heisman candidate after January’s record-setting Rose Bowl performance. And after losing Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson as first-round NFL Draft selections, the next great pass-catcher for the Buckeyes will be Marvin Harrison Jr. His reps were minimal last fall due to Ohio State’s expansive talent in the wide receiver room, but Harrison could easily surpass the 60-catch, 1,000-yard total this season.
“Those guys are driven,” Buckeyes strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti said this spring of Ohio State’s wideouts. “They’re in here at 5 o’clock in the morning on their own, running routes, catching jugs. Like they do so much, you have to like give them a plan. ‘You can’t come back and run routes after practice. You can’t. You’re not gonna hold up. You’ve got to do this, this, this and this.’ But that’s fun. That’s fun to be around those guys because they’re always looking to get better. ‘How can I do more? What can I do extra?'”
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