Under The Lights: Jack Miller and Jaxon Smith-Njigba Return From Injury While Mitchell Melton Faces Off Against One of The Best Junior Quarterbacks in The Nation

By Mick Walker on October 11, 2019 at 2:05 pm
Jack Miller
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Fall weekends can be hectic with all the football going on Friday through Sunday. Under the lights is your weekly primer on what is going for Ohio State commitments and recruits that weekend.

Every week, Under the Lights will detail the top-three games featuring Ohio State commitments, the game that Eleven Warriors will attend, and some predictions for how Ohio State's commits will perform. 

FUTURE BUCKEYES IN ACTION

ROCKWALL HIGH SCHOOL (TX.) VS ROCKWALL-HEATH HIGH SCHOOL (TX.)
  • Day: Friday
  • Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Future Buckeyes: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Just a few weeks ago in marquee Texas matchup against Longview High School, Smith-Njigba sustained a grade one separation in his ac joint – a separated shoulder. Two weeks later, Smith-Njigba is returning to the field to face his high school rival Rockwall-Heath.

Through just four games of his senior year, Smith-Njigba has an eye-popping 763 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Those numbers were good enough to earn him the 6A mid-season player of the year award from The Dallas Morning News after only four games. 

Smith-Njigba's comes at a welcomed time for his Rockwall team as they face their cross-town rival Rockwall-Heath, who they beat 47-7 last season.

CHAPARRAL (AZ.) VS O'CONNOR HIGH SCHOOL (AZ.)
  • Day: Friday
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • Future Buckeyes: Jack Miller

After missing his last four games with a bone bruise in his throwing shoulder, Jack Miller will be back in action this weekend.

Through the first two games of his senior year, Ohio State's 2020 quarterback commitment had 451 passing yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Now that Miller is back, he looks to lead his team to the Arizona state playoffs and put his name in the Arizona state record books, needing 2500 more yards to pass Oklahoma freshman Spencer Rattler for the state's passing yards record.

It's a lofty goal, but still not entirely out of the question.

Miller and his Chaparral have three regular season games remaining after tonight including a rivalry game against Pinnacle High School, one of the best teams in the state. Chaparral is also in the position to make the playoffs and making a title run, one of Miller's personal goals for the season.

GOOD COUNSEL (MD.) VS GONZAGA HIGH SCHOOL (D.C.)
  • Day: Friday
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Future Buckeyes: Mitchell Melton

Micthell Melton and his Good Counsel team continue their rigorous national schedule as the face off against Gonzaga High School.

Melton is the lone Buckeye commit and target in this game, and he will have his hands. Gonzaga features five-star 2021 quarterback Caleb Williams who will be playing behind on offensive line that features four three-star 2020 linemen committed to Penn State, Virginia, North Carolina State, and Wake Forrest. 

Melton plays outside linebacker for his high school but often comes off the edge as a pass rusher on key downs. He has double-digit sacks this season and has had multiple games with multiple sacks. Look for Melton to be up to the challenge this week against this very talented offensive line for Gonzaga.

WHERE WE'LL BE

MASSILLON WASHINGTON (OH.) VS GATEWAY (PA.)
  • Day: Friday
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Future Buckeyes: Jayden Ballard (Massillon)
  • Targets: Andrew Wilson-Lamp (Massillon), Derrick Davis Jr. (Gateway)

For the second time this season, four-star Ohio State receiver commit Jayden Ballard and his Massillon team will face a team from the state of Pennsylvania. This time, it's Gateway, led by four-star 2021 safety Derrick Davis Jr. – an Ohio State target and a top-50 prospect.

This game makes for an intriguing matchup for Ballard who will more than likely be covered by Davis Jr. on most downs, so we'll get a chance to see how he stacks up against elite talent.

FIVE PREDICTIONS
  1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 100 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in his return.
  2. Jack Miller throws for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns.
  3. Jacolbe Cowan has 3 sacks.
  4. Jack Sawyer throws for 200 yards and has 2 sacks.
  5. Jayden Ballard has 150 receiving yards.
2020 OHIO STATE COMMITMENTS
NAME POSITION HIGH SCHOOL OPPONENT
JULIAN FLEMING WR SOUTHERN COLUMBIA WYOMING AREA
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL PRINCETON FAIRFIELD
CLARK PHILLIPS III CB LA HABRA FULLERTON
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR ROCKWALL ROCKWALL-HEATH
GEE SCOTT JR. WR EASTSIDE CATHOLIC O'DEA
LUKE WYPLER OL ST. JOSEPH REGIONAL BERGEN CATHOLIC
MOOKIE COOPER WR PATTONVILLE  
LATHAN RANSOM S SALPOINTE CATHOLIC CASA GRANDE
CODY SIMON LB ST. PETERS PREP DON BOSCO PREP
KOURT WILLIAMS LB/S  ST. JOHN BOSCO JSERRA CATHOLIC
JACOLBE COWAN DL PROVIDENCE DAY CHARLOTTE LATIN
DARRION HENRY DL PRINCETON FAIRFIELD
JACK MILLER QB CHAPARRAL O'CONNOR
LEJOND CAVAZOS CB IMG ACADEMY LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
CAMERON MARTINEZ ATH MUSKEGON UNION
GRANT TOUTANT OL DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE DAVISON
JOSH FRYAR OL BEECH GROVE TRITON CENTRAL
JOE ROYER TE ELDER ARCHBISHOP MOELLER
MITCHELL MELTON OLB GOOD COUNSEL GONZAGA
TY HAMILTON DL PICKERINGTON CENTRAL LANCASTER
JAKOB JAMES OL ELDER ARCHBISHOP MOELLER
TREY LEROUX OL NORWALK SANDUSKY
JAKE SEIBERT K LA SALLE COVINGTON CATHOLIC
2021 OHIO STATE COMMITMENTS
NAME POSITION HIGH SCHOOL OPPONENT
JACK SAWYER  DE PICKERINGTON NORTH GROVE CITY
KYLE MCCORD QB ST. JOSEPH'S PREP ARCHBISHOP WOOD
BEN CHRISTMAN OL REVERE COPLEY
JAYDEN BALLARD WR MASSILLON WASHINGTON GATEWAY
REID CARRICO LB IRONTON ROCK HILL
 
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