Receivers and Special Teams Talk Fall Camp
8/25/2022 9:29:23 AM | Football
Ohio State receivers and special teams met with media after practice to discuss team progress.
On WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba:
“What everyone doesn’t see is these young men and how great they are. It’s one thing to have a great athlete, and it’s another to have a great person, but to have both in the same individual, that’s just special. We have a lot of those guys, so coming to “work” everyday isn’t work at all. It’s a lot of fun, and we’re all on the same mission.”
On his confidence in his WR room coming into the season:
“Where we are Game 1 cannot be where we are game 12, and if it is we’re probably not going to reach our dream.”
On his recruiting strategy:
“It starts with being yourself. At the end of the day, I don’t want to trick anyone into doing anything. If they don’t like me, they don’t come here and it’s fine. But I don’t want anyone to think I’m somebody I’m not and then it become a scam game. Be true to yourself.”
On individual goals:
“I just focus on our team goals. I want to win. I want to go 15-0. That’s really what the mindset is. I feel like if we get to the [national championship], when we get to the [national championship], all the individual goals will hopefully follow after that.”
On expectations for this year
“I like to cut out expectations. Sometimes your work ethic doesn’t meet your expectations, so right now I feel like my work ethic is matching my expectations.”
On his ability this upcoming season:
“I have a lot of confidence in myself. I’m not going to say I can break records or anything, but I definitely think I can contribute to the team in a big way.”
On teammate Emeka Egbuka:
“He’s a playmaker. Just get the ball in his hands and he’s going to make something happen. He’s at kick return for a reason. He’s that kind of player. I don’t think there’s anything on the field he can’t do. He’s going to be special for sure.”
On getting the season started:
“With game week being next week, everything is kind of just sped up. I will say that I’ve had a good preseason. I think the room’s had a good preseason. We’ve been able to just learn from each other. We’ve been able to grow with each other.”
On how his rapport has grown with QB CJ Stroud:
“It was definitely big to get those reps with CJ Stroud. Now we’re building trust, and we’re able to connect more. That’s going to be huge for the season.”
On his performance last season:
“I try to be really hard on myself. It’s a balance because you do have to reward yourself for the good games. The Rose Bowl, obviously was a good game. You have to reward yourself for those games but I nitpick and I’m like, “what can I do better?”
On PK Noah Ruggles’s growth since his return
“He’s a grown man. He takes care of his business and he’s done great in camp. We’re excited to have him back for another season.”
