Even after their move to the NFL, Ryan Day can’t stop praising his former Buckeye wideouts.
During an appearance on The Insiders with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day lauded former Buckeye wide receivers Emeka Egbuka of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks.
Day said he had the opportunity to meet with Smith-Njigba during Ohio State’s trip to Washington, adding that seeing his former receiver thriving at the next level and still connected to the Buckeye program was a special moment for him and the team.
“We had a game at Washington this past month, and it was great to see Jaxon there,” Day said. “I mean, he looks great. Just to see him around the team, on the sideline, it gave us all a bolt of energy because Jaxon is a great competitor, and he has a great personality. It doesn’t take long to get around him just to see how electric he is, and he makes those around him better.”
Day continued, highlighting the traits on and off the field that make Smith-Njigba an elite wide receiver in the NFL.
“His body language when he runs routes makes it so much easier for the quarterback,” Day said. “His ability to catch and get into run after catch — he can do just about anything as a receiver. And he’s also a tough player. You know, he was one of our better perimeter blockers when he was here. You combine all of those things, and it’s great to see him having such a great impact.”
Through seven games played Smith-Njigba is the by-far the NFL’s receiving yards leader, totaling 819 receiving yards, while averaging a whopping 117 yards per game. Smith-Njigba has recorded 190 more yards than the NFL’s second-leading receiver, Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s also added four receiving touchdowns.
Day then shifted his focus to Egbuka, a receiver he had the chance to develop over four seasons at Ohio State. Egbuka could’ve left for the NFL Draft after his junior season, but decided to return to the Buckeyes for one final year of development and to more importantly, finish Ohio State’s unfinished business.
Day expressed the importance of getting a full four years of development at the collegiate level, citing Egbuka’s experience as what fueled his strong rookie season.
“Emeka is a great example of somebody that could have gone to the NFL after three years and had a good career, but he decided to come back and win a national championship, and after four years of college play, he was so much more prepared for the NFL, and you’re seeing an immediate impact,” Day said.
Egbuka is seventh in the league with 527 receiving yards, despite fighting through a hamstring injury over the past two weeks. The Buccaneers rookie is averaging 75.3 yards per game, while ranking third in the NFL with five receiving touchdowns.
Day said he wasn’t surprised to see Egbuka make such an impression so quickly, noting that important qualities outside of football, like the receivers professionalism, were evident throughout his time at Ohio State.
“Tampa was smart enough to realize that he was gonna have an immediate impact,” Day said. “It isn’t just again with Emeka, his on the field play, but it doesn’t take long for you to get around him and realize the impact he makes on the people off the field. His leadership, his professionalism, how he goes about his business, he’s a guy that will be in the program and that people can rally and build the future around for a long time.”
