2020 Prep Tracker: Mitchell Melton Lives in The Backfield on Friday Night, Ohio State Wide Receiver Commitments Continue to Rack Up Yards

KEY STATS AND QUICK NOTES

• Ohio State commitments and their teams had a record of 16-9 this week.
• Lejond Cavazos and IMG Academy beat St. Johns 35-20.
• Jack Miller remains out with a bone bruise.

Each week this high school season, Eleven Warriors will highlight an offensive and defensive champion of the week among the players committed to Ohio State. Let's get the week five edition of the prep tracker started with the offensive champion of the week

OFFENSIVE CHAMPION: JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, WR, 2020

This has been a long time coming. Week after week Smith-Njigba puts up video game-like numbers but has been bested by other commitments. That did not happen this week.

Smith-Njigba went for 197 receiving yards on 9 catches with 4 touchdowns in just a half, and finished with 11 catches for 201 yards. Smith-Njigba showed off his versatility, scoring those touchdowns in a variety of ways. One was a quick slant that he turned upfield and broke for a score, then he ran a beautiful double move and was wide open for a long touchdown for another.

9 catches, 197 yards, 4 touchdowns:@jaxon_smith1 put that up in one half.

2020 Ohio State commit on his future:
"I'm ready to bring this to Columbus." pic.twitter.com/bclCUhNwMS

— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) September 22, 2019

Play single coverage against Jaxon Smith-Njigba (@jaxon_smith1) and hell make you regret that too as he hauls in another TD pass from QB Braedyn Locke (@Braedyn_Locke3), their third connection already.@RHSYJfootball 21, @Martin_Football 14 | 9:47 Q2 @SportsDayHS #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/2jJYeRlXyT

— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) September 21, 2019

Needless to say, Smith-Njigba had himself a night and earned the title of offensive champion of the week in Week 5.

Other notable offensive performances from Ohio State commitments:

• Julian Fleming, Gee Scott Jr., and Jayden Ballard all had at least 100 plus receiving yards and a touchdown
• Cameron Martinez once again had more than 200 total yards of offense
• Jack Sawyer threw for 155 yards
• Joe Royer caught 11 catches for 166 yards

DEFENSIVE CHAMPION: MITCHELL MELTON, OLB, 2020

Mitchell Melton has been very productive this season and he took it to another level on Friday night.

Against Archbishop Spalding, Melton took up residence in the opponent’s backfield. Though he had single digit tackles for the first time this season, finishing with nine, but he lived in the backfield all game finishing with five tackles for loss and four sacks.

One of his sacks forced a fumble which led to a game-icing touchdown for Good Counsel.

From Jake Lourim of the Washington Post:

When Mitchell Melton rushed off the edge, almost untouched, to sack Spalding quarterback Austin Tutas late in the second quarter Friday, he knew he made a big play for the Good Counsel defense. It took him a moment to realize just how big.

Only when he stood up did Melton see the result: His teammate, Ronnell McCorn, had scooped the ball and scored, giving No. 5 Good Counsel the lead for good in a 21-7 win.

“I knew the tackle couldn’t really block me — I was going past him every time,” Melton said of his strip-sack. “So I just hit him with a speed rush. I saw my opportunity and took it.”

Melton will bring that game-breaking ability to Columbus next year, but for now he's our defensive champion of the week.

Other notable defensive performances from Ohio State commitments:

• Jack Sawyer added on 2 sacks to bring his season total to 11 sacks.
• Darrion Henry had 5 total tackles and 3 solos in a big-time game.
• Lejond Cavazos had 2 pass breakups against St. Johns.