Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leaves matchup against Notre Dame with leg injury

Update 8:57 p.m. JSN is back in the game for the Bucks, who trail 10-7 with 4:06 left in the first half.

Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has exited Saturday’s matchup against Notre Dame with a leg injury. The wideout was last seen on the stationary bike on the Buckeyes’ sideline. His status for the rest of the game is unknown.

The dynamic third-year wideout out of Rockwall, TX, got hurt while catching his only target of the first half for four yards. So far, Emeka Egbuka has done the bulk of the lifting for the Buckeye receivers, hauling in the team’s first touchdown for the evening as OSU fights in this heavyweight bout against the Fighting Irish.

Smith-Njigba entered the 2022 season as one of three potential Heisman Trophy candidates within the Ohio State offense, standing alongside quarterback C.J. Stroud and running back TreVeyon Henderson. His 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns last season earned him Third-Team All-American honors and some are already projecting him to be the first receiver taken off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft.

We’ll provide more updates on his status as they become available.