Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is an active American football player who currently plays in the position of wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the franchise as the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. His high draft stock was a result of his stellar performances for his college, Ohio State University.

Smith-Njigba took the college football landscape by storm and dominated the gridiron during his tenure with the Buckeyes. In the 2021 season, the star WR had the world watching when he set the record for the most catches (15) and most receiving yards (1606) in one season as a Buckeye. Let’s take a closer look at his career and personal life.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Early Life

Born on 14 February 2002, Smith-Njigba fell in love with the game of football very early. The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver was raised in Rockwall, Texas, where he attended Rockwall High School. He first burst into the scene as a junior in high school, when he led all the players in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Smith-Njigba had scored 20 touchdowns with 97 receptions and accumulated 1,828 yards only in his junior season.

The star WR continued his brilliance in his senior year as well, scoring 35 TDs while catching 104 passes for 2,094 yards. His performances in that season earned him the Landry Award and the Texas Gatorade Football Player of the Year award.

The talented WR’s pass catching ability and spectacular route running impressed many. Coming off high school career with 5,346 yards and 82 TDs in 44 games, Smith-Njigba was a 5-star prospect and was #5 ranked WR in the whole of America.

But he was only getting started. He had offers lined up from the top colleges in the nation like Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Nebraska, before he finally committed to Ohio State University.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba College Career

Smith-Njigba looked solid as a freshman in 2020 for the Ohio State Buckeyes. While the WR didn’t get many opportunities, he capitalized on the seven games he played by leading the other freshmen with 49 yards and 10 receptions.

The real break for Smith-Njigba happened in his sophomore year in 2021, when he was named as the starter. The rest is history. Through the course of his on-field onslaught as a starter, he set and broke various records. During the game against Nebraska, the WR set the single game school record with 15 receptions.

In the Rose Bowl game, he put on a show. Scoring three TDs, catching the ball 15 times and recording 347 yards, he shattered multiple records in that game (single game program record, all-time bowl game record). Ohio State ended up winning the game 48-45 against the Utah Utes.

In the 2022 season, Smith-Njigba suffered a hamstring and as a result the WR laced up only for three games. The star WR declared for the 2023 NFL draft after missing much of the season due to the injury.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Family Background

For Smith-Njigba, the path to become a professional football player started off very early. He comes from an athletic family.

His mother’s name is Jami Smith. His father, Madda Njigba, played as a linebacker for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team. Jaxon’s older brother, Canaan, is a professional baseball player. He was drafted into the MLB straight out of high school by the New York Yankees. Canaan Smith-Njigba now plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League Baseball (MLB).

Madda Njigba’s influence on Jaxon’s development as a football player was profound. Madda would put both his sons through workouts from a very early age. The father put the brother through training at 6 a.m. during the summers.

Smith-Njigba also shared a special bond with his late grandfather, John. He was an immigrant to the United States from Sierra Leone.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Wife/girlfriend

Smith-Njigba is not dating anyone currently. The first round pick of the 2023 NFL draft is focusing all his time and energy on his professional life. His private life remains undisclosed.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Social Media

Smith-Njigba uses his social media accounts judiciously. On Instagram, he mostly shares and reposts of his team’s and teammate’s performances. He also uses the platform to showcase his brand partnerships at times and also uses Instagram to share a sneak-peek into his life as well.

On Twitter, he is more vocal and expressive while using the platform for similar purposes as Instagram. The star wide receiver has a combined following of over 338,400 people, with 268,000 on Instagram and 70,400 on Twitter.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Net Worth

Smith-Njigba’s net worth in 2023 is approximately around $10,000,000.

Smith-Njigba is part of the players who played in the NIL deals era and also benefited from it. He made around $1,700,000 with all his NIL deals. After getting drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL draft, the franchise signed he to a four-year $14,417,308 with a bonus of $7,485,316.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Brand Deals and Endorsements

Smith-Njigba was among the first two athletes that signed with the American fashion retailer Express Inc as style ambassadors. The other athlete was the then-Ohio State quarterback C. J. Stroud. The star wide receiver also partnered with shoe and accessories retailer Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), sports memorabilia company Onyx Authenticated and Kane Footwear.

The landscape of college football changed in July 2021 with the new NCAA rule changes that allowed college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness (NIL). Smith-Njigba, as mentioned earlier, was among the athletes who made the most of the NIL deals through his time in college.

Ohio State University made sure they helped it’s players make money off the NIL deals. By partnering with ‘The Foundation,’ a donation-based collective, they’ve assisted the players to secure good NIL deals. The $550,000 deal featured four Ohio State players including the then-quarterback C. J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Apart from this, Smith-Njigba also has deals with fast food restaurant chain Subway, Athletic Brewing Company and Ricart Automotive.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Achievements

Smith-Njigba has been phenomenal on and off the field. The star wideout has showcased gripping academic performances along with stellar show on the gridiron. His talent in academics and football only shows Jaxon’s high potential. Here is the list of Smith-Njigba’s achievements both on and off the field.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba football achievements

Landry Award winner (2019)
Texas Gatorade Football Player of the Year (2019-2020)

High school All-American (named by Sports Illustrated and USA Today)
Biletnikoff Award watch list (2022)

Third-team All-American (2021)

Third-team All-Big Ten (2021)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba academic achievements

Academic All-Big Ten Honoree

Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award

4.0 GPA holder in High School

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Contract

The Seattle Seahawks signed Smith-Njigba to a four-year deal for $14,417,308 with a bonus earnings of $7,485,316. The contract is fully guaranteed. He was drafted as the 20th pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Here is a further breakdown of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s contract.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Diet

There is not enough information publicly available regarding Smith-Njigba’s diet.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba House

There is not enough information publicly available regarding Smith-Njigb’s house.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Car

Smith-Njigba drives a custom Ford F-150 truck. The Seattle Seahawks WR collaborated with Ricart Automotive and Rabid Customs to design his Ford F-150 truck which had stunning Buckeye-themed detailing, personalized wheels and suspension.

The most stunning part of the customized Ford F-150 truck is the detailing of the rose on the scarlet stripe. It pays homage to Smith-Njigba’s historic performance at the Rose Bowl, where he notched up 15 receptions for 347 yards and three TDs.