COLUMBUS, Ohio — Buckeye Nation could see wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming return to the field this weekend against Toledo.
During his Tuesday press conference, head coach Ryan Day said he's hopeful both will be playing on Saturday.
"He's further along than he was at this point last week," Day said of Smith-Njigba. "We're going to expect him to play this weekend, we'll see how this week goes, but we're going to only put him in the game if we feel 100% sure that he's ready to roll."
Day described Fleming's situation as similar to Smith-Njigba's.
Smith-Njigba suffered a leg injury during the first quarter against Notre Dame. Fleming missed the opener as well due to an ongoing shoulder injury.
Both players went through some warm-ups last week but did not play against Arkansas State.
Last season, Smith-Njigba led Ohio State with 1,606 receiving yards and reeled in nine touchdown passes. Fleming finished with 12 catches and one touchdown in 2021.
During their absence this season, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka have stepped up and combined for 25 receptions, 448 yards and five touchdowns in the first two games.
"We're a different team when Jaxon's in there, there's no question, but we've had to have some other guys step up and figure a few things out," Day said. "That has been good for the longevity of the offense and the depth of the offense."
Ohio State and Toledo are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday for the Buckeyes’ second night game of the season.