Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will not play against Georgia football in College Football Playoff

As has been the case for much of the season, Ohio State will not have one of its top receivers when it takes on Georgia in the College Football Playoff. The school announced that wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will not play in the game as he will begin to prep for the NFL draft.

“He has had such a major impact here in Columbus, on and off the field, in a relatively short period of time,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said in a statement released by the school. “We all know he has a very bright future ahead of him and we all support him as he moves forward with his career.”

Both Georgia and Ohio State enter the game banged up but will have time to heal. Many will want to see how things go for wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who left Saturday’s game with a knee injury.

The two teams do not meet until Dec. 31. The game will be held in Atlanta and kickoff at 8 p.m. ET.

“During this time, it’s going to be great to get guys healthy. We really have been fighting that a little bit,” Day said. “But we’ve also developed some depth in certain areas too, which is important. I think if we can push forward and get to just about 100 percent here in terms of our health, that gives us the best chance on the 31st.”

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