Across The Shield: Tommy Togiai Scores A Touchdown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba Wins the NFL’s Receiving Crown and Chase Young Notches His First 10-Sack Season

By Dan Hope and Matt Gutridge on January 5, 2026 at 8:35 am
Tommy Togiai scoring his first NFL touchdown
Thomas Shea – Imagn Images
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The final week of the NFL’s 2025 regular season included Tommy Togiai scoring a touchdown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba securing the NFL’s receiving title, Chase Young reaching a notable milestone for the first time in his NFL career and another two-touchdown game for TreVeyon Henderson.

In the final Across The Shield of the regular season, we recap all the top highlights for former Ohio State players in Week 18, plus look ahead to which Buckeyes will be in this year’s NFL playoffs and look at who led Ohio State’s contingent of NFL players in every major statistical category this season.

Togiai scores game-ending touchdown

Tommy Togiai was supposed to score a touchdown on offense on Sunday. He ended up scoring a touchdown on defense.

On 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line in the first half, the Houston Texans brought Togiai into the game for a snap as a fullback. The play was designed for his former Ohio State teammate C.J. Stroud to hand the ball off to him, but Stroud missed the handoff and ended up running the ball into the end zone himself for his first touchdown run since 2023.

Instead, Togiai’s first NFL touchdown came in a more unexpected fashion. As the Indianapolis Colts pitched the ball around trying to make a miracle happen on the game’s final play, Colts tight end Tyler Warren tipped the ball into Togiai’s hands as he attempted to scoop up an errant pitch by Colts quarterback Riley Leonard. The former Ohio State defensive tackle ran the ball 14 yards into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown, securing the Texans’ ninth straight victory.

The touchdown was Togiai’s first since high school, as he never scored a touchdown at Ohio State.

“The ball popped right to me and I was like ‘I can’t go down, I gotta score, I gotta get in the end zone with this,’” Togiai said after the game, according to the Houston Chronicle. “Only once in a lifetime you get an opportunity like that, so I was like ‘I gotta get in the end zone.’” 

It was the perfect ending to the regular season in what’s been a breakout year for Togiai. After spending time on three teams’ practice squads in 2023 before joining the Texans last year, Togiai has had the best season of his NFL career by far in 2025, recording 59 total tackles with six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and four pass breakups.

Togiai also had four tackles with a tackle for loss in Sunday’s game, and set up an interception for his Texans teammate Alijah Huzzie by hitting Leonard as he threw a pass over the middle of the field.

Togiai’s big day earned him our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer of the week for the second time this season.

Pro Bucks of the Week
Week Player Stats
1 Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka 4 catches, 67 yards, 2 TD; 1 rush, 9 yards
2 Bills DE Joey Bosa 2 tackles, 1 sack, 2 FF, 7 QB pressures
3 Steelers DT Cameron Heyward 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 PD, 4 QB pressures
4 Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka 4 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD; 1 rush, 0 yards
5 Texans QB C.J. Stroud 23/27, 244 yards, 4 TD; 1 rush, 30 yards
6 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD
7 Browns RB Quinshon Judkins 25 carries, 84 yards, 3 TD
8 Texans QB C.J. Stroud 30/39, 318 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 7 carries, 30 yards
9 Cardinals CB Denzel Burke 7 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
10 Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson 14 carries, 147 yards, 2 TD; 1 catch, 3 yards
11 Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson 19 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD; 5 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD
12 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 catches, 167 yards, 2 TD; 1 carry, 4 yards
13 Panthers S Lathan Ransom 11 tackles, 1 sack
14 Texans DT Tommy Togiai 10 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB hits
15 Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson 14 carries, 148 yards, 2 TD; 2 catches, 13 yards
16 Saints WR Chris Olave 10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TD
17 Saints DE Chase Young 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD, 2 QB hits
18 Texans DT Tommy Togiai 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD, 1 FR, 1 TD

Because the Texans had already clinched a playoff berth and the Jacksonville Jaguars had effectively clinched the AFC South with a 31-7 halftime lead over the Tennessee Titans (the Jaguars ultimately won 41-7), Stroud was among numerous starters that the Texans pulled from the game at halftime to preserve their health. Along with his rushing touchdown, Stroud completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in one half of play to lead Houston to a 23-17 halftime advantage in its eventual 38-30 win.

The half was enough to secure Stroud’s third straight 3,000-yard passing season to start his NFL career, as he finished the regular season with 273 completions on 423 attempts for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

Nothing made Stroud happier than seeing Togiai score his touchdown, especially after his missed handoff deprived Togiai of a touchdown opportunity earlier in the game.

“I felt so bad. I went over there and did five push-ups for him. But I’m good, though. We finished, he got his touchdown, nobody can be mad at me anymore,” Stroud said. “I love Tommy. That’s one of my Buckeye brothers. I’ve known Tommy since I was 18 years old. He’s a great player, but also a great human. I’m just happy to see him really prevail in this league and have great seasons back-to-back.”

JSN wins NFL receiving crown

Only seven players in NFL history have ever had more receiving yards in a season than Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The former Ohio State wide receiver officially won the NFL’s receiving crown for the 2025 season as he finished the regular season with 1,793 yards, 78 more than Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua in second place.

He became the first former Buckeye to lead the NFL in receiving yards since Michael Thomas in 2019. Smith-Njigba also surpassed Thomas’ record of 1,725 yards for the most receiving yards in an NFL season by a former Ohio State player.

Smith-Njigba clinched the NFL’s receiving title by catching six passes for 84 yards in the Seattle Seahawks’ 14-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, which also clinched the Seahawks the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The win gave Smith-Njigba the last laugh after 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir called JSN out during the week leading up to the game, saying he hoped for the opportunity to shadow Smith-Njigba in coverage.

“It’s hard to respond back to all of my fans,” Smith-Njigba said in a sarcastic response to Lenoir during his postgame press conference.

Young notches 10-sack season

Chase Young secured the first 10-sack season of his NFL career by recording 1.5 sacks in the New Orleans Saints’ season finale against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

The former Ohio State defensive end secured his first double-digit sack season when he blew by the inside of Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews to bury Kirk Cousins for an 8-yard loss.

Young, who tied his season-high with six total tackles in the Saints’ 19-17 loss to Atlanta, tallied 10 sacks despite playing in just 12 games this season. In his sixth NFL season, Young had the best all-around year of his pro career as he also recorded 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four pass deflections and his first career touchdown.

Two touchdowns for Trey

TreVeyon Henderson completed his impressive NFL rookie season with his fourth multi-touchdown game of the year as he ran for two touchdowns in the New England Patriots’ 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Henderson had 13 carries for 53 yards against the Dolphins to finish his first NFL regular season with 911 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He also caught 35 passes for 221 yards and another touchdown.

Decker’s final game?

After 10 years as a stalwart left tackle for the Detroit Lions, Taylor Decker may have played his final game in the NFL on Sunday.

The former Buckeye told reporters after the Lions’ season-ending win over the Chicago Bears that he is contemplating retirement. While he continued to play at a high level this year, starting 14 of the Lions’ 17 games, the 32-year-old battled a shoulder injury throughout the season, leaving him uncertain whether continuing to play is the best decision for his family.

“It’s been really challenging for me mentally, just being in pain all the time and knowing that you have to go out there and play anyway,” Decker said after Sunday’s game, according to MLive. “I play because I love the game and I love my teammates. But at some point, I have to make a decision for other people, too. … It’s a massive decision, and it’s not only about me. It’s about my kids. 

“I’ll get emotional about that. Just to be able to show up and be the father that I want to be. It’s not about ‘Do I want to play football?’ That’s really important to me because I can make the selfish decision. I can keep playing until I can’t walk anymore or I can’t throw the ball with my kids. But that’s not what you do as a father and husband. So that’s going to weigh heavily into my decision.”

Decker has started 139 games in 10 seasons for the Lions, leading Detroit to an NFC Championship Game appearance in the 2023 season and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2024. He’s one of only two players from Ohio State, along with Cameron Heyward – who’s been with the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2011 – to be with the same NFL team for all of the last 10 years.

A literal Brotherly Shove

The “Brotherly Shove” may be a Philadelphia moniker for the “tush push” play that the Eagles have become famous for in red-zone and short-yardage situations over the past five years, but Pennsylvania’s other NFL team made that literal on Sunday night.

Using fullback Connor Heyward to take the snap under center and run the ball forward, the Steelers called on Cameron Heyward – his older brother – to take the field on offense as one of his pushers for multiple short-yardage plays, including a third-quarter touchdown run.

On the Baltimore Ravens’ subsequent drive, Heyward made a big impact on his usual side of the ball, hitting Lamar Jackson to force an incompletion and tipping a pass that his Steelers teammate T.J. Watt intercepted one play later.

Heyward finished with seven tackles in the Steelers’ 26-24 win, with which they won the AFC North to punch their ticket to the playoffs. 

20 Buckeyes on playoff rosters

All but three of the 14 teams that made this year’s NFL playoffs have at least one former Ohio State player on their rosters.

If former Ohio State player and assistant coach Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots can beat former Michigan player and coach Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card round of the playoffs, they would guarantee that there would be at least one Buckeye in Super Bowl LX, as each of the other six AFC teams in this season’s playoffs have former Ohio State players on their rosters.

The Steelers have the most Buckeyes of any playoff team with four, followed by the Texans – who they‘ll play in the wild card round – and Los Angeles Rams, who each have three former Ohio State players on their rosters.

The full list of former Ohio State players who will play in this year’s NFL playoffs, only including players who are currently on their teams’ 53-man rosters and who finished their college careers in Columbus, sorted by conference and playoff seeds:

AFC

Denver Broncos: Jonathon Cooper
New England Patriots: TreVeyon Henderson, Thayer Munford
Jacksonville Jaguars: DaVon Hamilton
Pittsburgh Steelers: Malik Harrison, Cameron Heyward, Will Howard, Jack Sawyer
Houston Texans: Cade Stover, C.J. Stroud, Tommy Togiai
Buffalo Bills: Joey Bosa, Jordan Hancock
Los Angeles Chargers: None

NFC

Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Chicago Bears: Jonah Jackson
Philadelphia Eagles: None
Carolina Panthers: Lathan Ransom
Los Angeles Rams: Ty Hamilton, Jake McQuaide, Nick Vannett
San Francisco 49ers: Luke Farrell
Green Bay Packers: None

Smith-Njigba and Cooper will have next weekend off as the Seahawks and Broncos earned first-round byes as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, but 18 Buckeyes will be in action during next weekend’s wild card round.

The full schedule for next weekend’s games:

Saturday

  • 4:30 p.m., FOX: No. 5 Los Angeles Rams at No. 4 Carolina Panthers
  • 8 p.m., Prime Video: No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Chicago Bears

Sunday

  • 1 p.m., CBS: No. 6 Buffalo Bills at No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars
  • 4:30 p.m., FOX: No. 6 San Francisco 49ers at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles
  • 8 p.m., NBC: No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 2 New England Patriots

Monday

  • 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN: No. 5 Houston Texans at No. 4 Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers

Season Leaders

Jaxon Smith-Njigba wasn’t the only former Ohio State player to lead the NFL in a statistical category this season. Joey Bosa led the entire NFL with five forced fumbles this season as part of a resurgent season for the Buffalo Bills in which he recorded 29 total tackles with nine tackles for loss, five sacks and 16 quarterback hits.

With the regular season now complete, we take a look below at who led Ohio State’s contingent of NFL players across every major statistical category this season – again, only including players who finished their college careers as Buckeyes.

  • Passing Yards: C.J. Stroud (3,041)
  • Passing Touchdowns: C.J. Stroud (19)
  • Rushing Yards: TreVeyon Henderson (914)
  • Rushing Touchdowns: TreVeyon Henderson (9)
  • Receptions: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (119)
  • Receiving Yards: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1,793) – most in NFL
  • Receiving Touchdowns: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (10)
  • Tackles: Ronnie Hickman (98)
  • Sacks: Chase Young (10)
  • Tackles for Loss: Chase Young (11)
  • Quarterback Hits: Dre’Mont Jones (24)
  • Interceptions: Denzel Burke (3)
  • Passes Defended: Denzel Burke (11)
  • Forced Fumbles: Joey Bosa (5) – most in NFL
  • Fumble Recoveries: Pete Werner and Chase Young (3)

Full stats for NFL Week 18 and the 2025 regular season for every Buckeye who played in at least one game this year can be found in the table below compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge.

Buckeyes Around the NFL
PLAYER POSITION TEAM WEEK 18 STATS SEASON STATS
ELI APPLE CB 49ERS Practice squad 1 tackle
DAMON ARNETTE CB TEXANS Released 3 tackles
JEROME BAKER LB BROWNS 5 tackles, 1 FF 40 tackles, 1.5 sacks (11.5 yards), 3 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 FF
JOEY BOSA DE BILLS Inactive 29 tackles, 5 sacks (40 yards), 9 TFL, 16 QB hits, 2 PD, 5 FF
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS Injured reserve (knee) 17 tackles, 2 sacks (9 yards), 4 TFL, 3 QB hits, 2 FF, 1 FR
NOAH BROWN WR COMMANDERS Injured reserve (ribs) 5 catches, 83 yards
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS 1 tackle 34 tackles, 2 sacks (13 yards), 4 TFL, 5 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FR
DENZEL BURKE CB CARDINALS 6 tackles 49 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 INT, 11 PD
PARRIS CAMPBELL WR COWBOYS Practice squad 1 tackle
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 1 tackle 48 tackles, 8 sacks (59.0 yards), 8 TFL, 14 QB hits, 4 PD
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Started at LT 14 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB BRONCOS Injured reserve (foot) 153 carries, 772 yards, 4 TD; 11 catches, 37 yards
EMEKA EGBUKA WR BUCCANEERS 1 catch, 8 yards 63 catches, 941 yards, 6 TD; 2 carries, 9 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS 6 tackles, 1 PD 36 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD
LUKE FARRELL TE 49ERS Played at TE 11 catches, 85 yards, 2 TD; 2 tackles, 1 FR
JUSTIN FIELDS QB JETS Injured reserve (knee) 128/204, 1,259 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT; 71 carries, 383 yards, 4 TD
JOSH FRYAR OL CARDINALS Started at LT 12 games played; 5 starts on OL
JORDAN FULLER S FALCONS Practice squad 2 tackles
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS 1 tackle 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks (13 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 3 tackles 38 tackles, 1 sack (7 yards), 3 TFL, 3 QB hits
TY HAMILTON DT RAMS Played at DT 11 tackles, 1 QB hit
JORDAN HANCOCK S BILLS 5 tackles 22 tackles
MALIK HARRISON LB STEELERS 5 tackles 41 tackles, 2 TFL
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS Injured reserve (knee) 22 tackles, 4.5 sacks (16.5 yards), 5 TFL, 5 QB hits, 2 FF, 1 PD
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS Injured reserve (foot) 41 catches, 608 yards, 4 TD
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB PATRIOTS 13 carries, 53 yards, 2 TD 178 carries, 914 yards, 9 TD; 35 catches, 221 yards, 1 TD; 9 KR, 209 yards
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 7 tackles, 1 QB hit 78 tackles, 3.5 sacks (16 yards), 9 TFL, 9 QB hits, 6 PD, 1 FF
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS 8 tackles, 2 PD 98 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 5 PD
JALYN HOLMES DE COMMANDERS Inactive 21 tackles, 1 QB hit
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS 4 tackles 52 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PD
WILL HOWARD QB STEELERS Inactive  
DONOVAN JACKSON OL VIKINGS Started at LG 14 starts at LG
JONAH JACKSON OG BEARS Started at RG 17 starts at RG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Injured reserve (knee) 12 starts at LT
CAMERON JOHNSTON P GIANTS Released 11 punts, 44.5 average, 2 inside 20
DAWAND JONES OT BROWNS Injured reserve (knee) 2 starts at LT, 1 start at RT
DRE'MONT JONES DE RAVENS Played at DE 43 tackles, 7 sacks (42 yards), 7 TFL, 24 QB hits, 1 PD, 2 FR
MICHAEL JORDAN LG BUCCANEERS Started at LG 9 starts at LG, 11 games played
QUINSHON JUDKINS RB BROWNS Injured reserve (leg) 230 carries, 827 yards, 7 TD; 26 catches, 171 yards
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS Injured reserve (knee) 27 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 7 PD, 1 FR
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS 1 tackle 11 tackles, 3 sacks (18 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 PD
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 16 games played at LS; 1 tackle
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS 4 catches, 57 yards 38 catches, 582 yards, 3 TD, 1 tackle
JAKE McQUAIDE LS RAMS Played at LS 9 games played at LS
THAYER MUNFORD OT PATRIOTS Started at OT 2 starts at OT, 5 games played
JOSH MYERS C JETS Started at C 17 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB VIKINGS Injured reserve (concussion) 14 tackles, 1 FR
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS Inactive 100 catches, 1,163 yards, 9 TD; 1 carry, -3 yards; 0/1 passing, 1 INT
LATHAN RANSOM S PANTHERS 2 tackles, 1 PD 51 tackles, 1 sack (8 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS Started at TE 23 catches, 179 yards, 1 TD
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS Injured reserve (elbow, knee) 7 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD; 9 KR, 223 yards; 1 tackle
JACK SAWYER LB STEELERS 1 tackle 34 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 3 TFL, 6 QB hits, 2 INT, 4 PD
TREY SERMON RB STEELERS Practice squad 1 tackle
KENDALL SHEFFIELD CB DOLPHINS Practice squad 1 tackle
JOSH SIMMONS OT CHIEFS Injured reserve (wrist) 8 starts at LT
CODY SIMON LB CARDINALS 8 tackles 76 tackles, 0.5 sack (4 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 PD, 1 FF
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS 6 catches, 84 yards 119 catches, 1,793 yards, 10 TD; 7 carries, 36 yards
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS 1 tackle 11 catches, 67 yards; 4 carries, 3 yards; 1 tackle
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 14/23, 169 yards, 1 TD; 2 carries, 5 yards 273/423, 3,041 yards, 19 TD, 8 INT; 48 carries, 209 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD, 1 FR, 1 TD 59 tackles, 1.5 sacks (13.5 yards), 6 TFL, 5 QB hits, 4 PD, 1 FR, 1 TD
JT TUIMOLOAU DE COLTS 1 tackle 17 tackles, 1 TFL, 6 QB hits
NICK VANNETT TE RAMS Played at TE 1 start, 9 games played
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS Started at CB 39 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 9 PD
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 2 tackles 81 tackles, 2 sacks (1 yard), 4 TFL, 3 QB hits, 5 PD, 3 FR
TYLEIK WILLIAMS DT LIONS 1 tackle, 1 TFL, 1 PD 18 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 4 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS Injured reserve (knee) 36 catches, 395 yards, 4 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Started at C 4 starts at C, 1 start at T, 17 games played, 1 tackle
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks (12.5 yards), 2 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 PD 38 tackles, 10 sacks (85 yards), 11 TFL, 15 QB hits, 4 PD, 2 FF, 3 FR, 1 TD
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