\n\t\u201cYou\u2019re always trying to find different edges that can help players,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cIn college, he was wearing a size 12, had hamstring issues and things like that. Gets here, he\u2019s a 10.5.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThat detail hits a little harder in hindsight… though there is some doubt the story is actually true…\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\tStraight up BS story.\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\u2014 Anthony Schlegel (@schlegelvellie) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tIn 2022, JSN left Ohio State\u2019s Week 1 win over Notre Dame with what was later revealed to be a hamstring injury. He returned briefly on a pitch count against Toledo and Iowa but ultimately missed the rest of the season.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t#Seahawks<\/a> WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba used to wear size 12 cleats in college and dealt with hamstring issues, per Director of Equipment Erik Kennedy.<\/p>\n Seattle got him down to a size 10 using foot scanningand he hasnt had the issue since.<\/p>\n Were always trying to find little edges to pic.twitter.com\/b3VlXNlJoy<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tHis absence loomed large. It\u2019s fair to debate whether he would\u2019ve been enough to overcome Michigan \u2014 read: Connor Stalions\u2019 sign-stealing operation \u2014 but it\u2019s much easier to picture him as the difference-maker against Georgia. Ohio State\u2019s offense was humming in that Peach Bowl until Marvin Harrison Jr. was knocked out in the end zone.\n<\/p>\n \n\tAll told, JSN missed 10 games in his final season, a stark contrast to the year before, when he racked up 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. As a junior, he finished with just five receptions for 45 yards.\n<\/p>\n \n\tKennedy noted that Smith-Njigba hasn\u2019t missed a game in three seasons with Seattle, suggesting the team\u2019s scanning technology \u2014 and a better fit in his cleats \u2014 has played a role.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s helped him,\u201d Kennedy said.\n<\/p>\n \n\tAvailability is the best ability. And when you have it, you can turn 119 receptions, a league-leading 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns into Offensive Player of the Year honors and a Super Bowl MVP by Year 3.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0\u201cHE\u2019S AN EXCITING PLAYER.\u201d While we\u2019re on JSN, he returned to Ohio State as the Buckeyes\u2019 Victory Bell Ringer<\/a> for Saturday\u2019s spring game. As the offense and defense went back and forth along the Olentangy, Big Ten Network caught up with him to talk about the program\u2019s next standout receiver, Jeremiah Smith.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tHes an exciting player, hes a winner, and its gonna be great to see him flourish.<\/p>\n Former @OhioStateFB<\/a> WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba on Jeremiah Smith<\/p>\n : @BigTenNetwork<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iz4ICzHewj<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019m a mentor, but he knows anything he needs he can always call or text,\u201d Smith-Njigba said. \u201cWe definitely get together and talk some ball. I\u2019m just super proud of him and how he\u2019s pushing the bar even further than what we did. It\u2019s exciting times \u2014 really exciting times here. He\u2019s an exciting player. He\u2019s a winner. It\u2019s gonna be great to see him flourish.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\tReal recognize real.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0PITCH A TENT. Truth be told, Jeremiah Smith isn\u2019t the next great Ohio State wide receiver \u2014 he\u2019s already there. And he\u2019ll keep building on that this season. If we\u2019re talking \u201cnext next,\u201d that title might belong to Chris Henry Jr., who flashed in the spring game with four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.\n<\/p>\n \n\tEleven Warriors\u00a0editor Dan Hope broke down Henry\u2019s performance and what it could mean for Ohio State<\/a> moving forward \u2014 well worth your time if you want the full picture on the five-star. But I\u2019d be remiss not to highlight this gem from offensive lineman Deontae Armstrong after Tavien St. Clair\u2019s touchdown strike to Henry in the first half:\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tCould read a harry potter book back there https:\/\/t.co\/MBLRATyUX6<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Deontae Armstrong (@DeonArmstrong30) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tYou sure could read a Harry Potter book back there \u2014 probably Order of the Phoenix, all 257,045 words and 800-plus pages of it. If the offensive line gives quarterbacks that kind of time this fall, Ohio State will be a problem.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0ROUND UP FOR\u2026 NIL? Ohio State fans buying a hot dog and a Coke at the Shoe had another decision to make at checkout Saturday \u2014 whether to round up their total for NIL.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tAt the Shoe, concessions vendors are offering a round up to donate option that goes to Ohio States NIL fund\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Anand Nanduri (@NanduriNFL) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tConcession vendors inside Ohio Stadium introduced a \u201cround up to donate\u201d option, with the extra change going directly to Ohio State\u2019s NIL fund. It\u2019s a small ask on the surface, but across 100,000-plus fans, it could add up quickly.\n<\/p>\n \n\tWelcome to college football in 2026, where your game-day snacks can double as recruiting contributions.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0RIP, LITTLE BAR.\u00a0Ohio State’s pregame and postgame atmosphere felt a little less lively on Saturday after The Little Bar was torn down to make way for a new high-rise apartment project by Austin-based developer American Campus Communities<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThough The Little Bar poured its final beer on March 29, this may not be the end for the beloved campus staple. Too\u2019s Spirits Under High closed in 2017 before planning its return to campus this August, while the Bier Stube shuttered in 2024 and is set to reopen at a new location on King Avenue. Perhaps The Little Bar can follow a similar path.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0GET MORE 11W. Whether it\u2019s a deep dive into spring practice or a feature on Ohio State\u2019s most interesting players, Eleven Warriors is your premier destination for Ohio State sports news.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \t \n\tWe take pride in being the go-to source for the most dedicated fan base in the country, and Google has recently introduced a tool that makes it even easier to keep our coverage at the top of your feed.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThis new feature allows you to “prioritize” specific news sources, ensuring that the outlets you trust most appear first in your search results. It is a simple way to cut through the noise of national media and get straight to the Buckeye reporting you care about.\n<\/p>\n \n\tTo set this up for yourself, you can click this direct link<\/a>, which takes you straight to the preference page. By confirming Eleven Warriors as a preferred source, you are telling the Google algorithm to highlight our stories whenever you search for news. It\u2019s a quick, one-time adjustment that ensures you never miss a beat from the 11W team.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0NEW DUBCAST AT 8 A.M. ET ON YOUTUBE. The first Eleven Dubcast of the week\u00a0recaps the Ohio State spring game, explores positives and negatives from the afternoon and ponders if the Buckeyes could beat the Columbus Aviators head-to-head.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0SONG OF THE DAY. “Kilby Girl” – The Backseat Lovers.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0CUT TO THE CHASE.\u00a0Why Bayern\u2019s players are wearing cockatoo T-shirts for Bundesliga celebrations<\/a>…\u00a0California bear-suit luxury car scam ends in insurance fraud sentences for three<\/a>…\u00a0Mounted New York police officer and his horse corner suspected purse snatcher in Manhattan<\/a>…\u00a01 million bees make for bumper-to-buzzer traffic on a Tennessee highway ramp<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n