Jaxon Smith-Njigba was sitting in a psychology class at Rockwall High School in a suburb of Dallas one morning three years ago when his phone rang. It was a recruiter from Ohio State on the other end. Mark Pantoni, the director of player personnel, had been impressed by his recent performances and wanted to invite him to visit the school for a game later that fall. Once Smith-Njigba agreed, the Buckeyes offered him a scholarship, and little time was wasted. He committed in November following a trip. At the time, Smith-Njigba was an undervalued wide receiver prospect, a year away from picking up a five-star rating. He had offers from a handful of Power Five Conference schools, but none of them were blue bloods or even the premier in-state schools like Texas or Texas A&M. All of which made the early interest from Ohio State stand out. Ohio State football:…
Continue Reading: The Mark Pantoni effect: How the recruiting chief keeps Ohio State football talent rich
