Jaxon Smith-Njigba dominated the NFC Championship Game and Mike Vrabel is going to the Super Bowl in his first season as the New England Patriots’ coach.
Ohio State will be represented by four former players in Super Bowl LX as Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks will go head-to-head with Vrabel, TreVeyon Henderson, Thayer Munford Jr. and the New England Patriots on Feb. 8 (6:30 p.m., NBC).
We recap their conference championship game performances and look ahead to Super Bowl LX in Across The Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly recap of how former Ohio State players performed throughout the NFL.
JSN takes over the NFC Championship Game
After a relatively quiet performance by his standards in the Seahawks’ playoff opener, Jaxon Smith-Njigba showed everyone why he’s the NFL Offensive Player of the Year with a spectacular performance in the NFC Championship Game.
The former Ohio State wide receiver, who caught three passes for 19 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ divisional round win over the San Francisco 49ers, caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Smith-Njigba made the highlight reel early, hauling in a 9-yard pass near the sideline with his fingertips for a spectacular one-handed catch near the end of the first quarter.
What a catch by JSN! pic.twitter.com/UisZdiM2K1
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 26, 2026
average JSN catch
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/O8gu7USHHy
On the Seahawks’ final drive before halftime, Smith-Njigba hauled in a 42-yard deep ball despite a big hit, then made a 14-yard touchdown catch three plays later.
YA LOVE TO SEE IT @jaxon_smith1 for 42 yards.
— xz* - Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 26, 2026
: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/IpDJYeGfau
End zone had his name on it all drive long. @jaxon_smith1
— xz* - Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 26, 2026
: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/eMyG4bHgei
Smith-Njigba finished the first half with seven catches for 115 yards, the most receiving yards ever in a half for a Seahawks player in a playoff game.
JSN's 115 receiving yards are the most in ANY half of a Seahawks playoff game EVER https://t.co/5mCyqFnlcd pic.twitter.com/8wTTHEfxdv
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 26, 2026
With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Smith-Njigba came up big again, catching a 14-yard pass for a first down to move the chains with just three minutes to play and the Rams needing a stop.
Game on the line: Call JSN.
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9dbK9vBSNs
In recognition of his spectacular performance, Smith-Njigba earns our Pro Buck of the Week award for the third time this season as Ohio State’s top NFL performer of the week. He’s the third Buckeye to win the award three times this year, joining Henderson and Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai.
| 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 |
| WC | Patriots HC Mike Vrabel | Knocked Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers out of the playoffs |
| DIV | Texans DT Tommy Togiai | 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF |
| CC | Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 10 catches, 153 yards, 1 TD |
Entering the Super Bowl, Smith-Njigba has now caught 132 passes for 1,947 yards and 12 touchdowns in 19 total games this season between the regular season and playoffs.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba passes Justin Jefferson for the most receiving yards EVER by a player in their age 23-or-younger season, including playoffs @Seahawks | #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/mswTLMzBtJ
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) January 26, 2026
Vrabel leads Patriots to Super Bowl in first season
Mike Vrabel is going to the Super Bowl for the fifth time.
After making four Super Bowls – winning three of them – as a player for the New England Patriots, the former Ohio State defensive end is going back to the Super Bowl in his first year as the head coach.
Vrabel, who’s tied for the most Super Bowl wins and appearances as a player among former Buckeyes, becomes the first-ever former Ohio State player to make five Super Bowls as either a player or head coach.
| Player | Years (Teams) |
|---|---|
| JIM TYRER | 1967, 1970 (Kansas City Chiefs) |
| MATT SNELL | 1969 (New York Jets) |
| BOB VOGEL | 1969, 1971 (Baltimore Colts) |
| TOM MATTE | 1969 (Baltimore Colts) |
| JIM MARSHALL | 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977 (Minnesota Vikings) |
| PAUL WARFIELD | 1972, 1973, 1974 (Miami Dolphins) |
| MORRIS BRADSHAW | 1977, 1981 (Oakland Raiders) |
| NEAL COLZIE | 1977 (Oakland Raiders) |
| JACK TATUM | 1977 (Oakland Raiders) |
| LEONARD WILLIS | 1977 (Minnesota Vikings) |
| RANDY GRADISHAR | 1978 (Denver Broncos) |
| BOB BRUDZINSKI | 1980 (Los Angeles Rams), 1983, 1985 (Miami Dolphins) |
| DOUG FRANCE | 1980 (Los Angeles Rams) |
| ARCHIE GRIFFIN | 1982 (Cincinnati Bengals) |
| RAY GRIFFIN | 1982 (Cincinnati Bengals) |
| PETE JOHNSON | 1982 (Cincinnati Bengals), 1985 (Miami Dolphins) |
| TOM OROSZ | 1983 (Miami Dolphins) |
| JOHN FRANK | 1985, 1989 (San Francisco 49ers) |
| SHAUN GAYLE | 1986 (Chicago Bears) |
| MIKE TOMCZAK | 1986 (Chicago Bears), 1996 (Pittsburgh Steelers) |
| PEPPER JOHNSON | 1987, 1991 (New York Giants) |
| WILLIAM ROBERTS | 1987, 1991 (New York Giants), 1997 (New England Patriots) |
| JIM LACHEY | 1992 (Washington Redskins) |
| JOE STAYSNIAK | 1992 (Buffalo Bills) |
| KEITH BYARS | 1997 (New England Patriots) |
| TERRY GLENN | 1997 (New England Patriots) |
| TOM TUPA | 1997 (New England Patriots), 2003 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) |
| TITO PAUL | 1999 (Denver Broncos) |
| WILLIAM WHITE | 1999 (Atlanta Falcons) |
| JOE GERMAINE | 2000 (St. Louis Rams) |
| ORLANDO PACE | 2000 (St. Louis Rams), 2002 (St. Louis Rams) |
| LORENZO STYLES | 2000 (St. Louis Rams) |
| EDDIE GEORGE | 2000 (Tennessee Titan) |
| CHRIS SANDERS | 2000 (Tennessee Titans) |
| JOE MONTGOMERY | 2001 (New York Giants) |
| MIKE VRABEL | 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008 (New England Patriots) |
| RYAN PICKETT | 2002 (St. Louis Rams), 2011 (Green Bay Packers) |
| RICKEY DUDLEY | 2003 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) |
| RODNEY BAILEY | 2006 (Seattle Seahawks) |
| TYLER EVERETT | 2007 (Chicago Bears) |
| SANTONIO HOLMES | 2009 (Pittsburgh Steelers) |
| MALCOLM JENKINS | 2010 (New Orleans Saints), 2018 (Philadelphia Eagles) |
| WILL SMITH | 2010 (New Orleans Saints) |
| A.J. HAWK | 2011 (Green Bay Packers) |
| MATT WILHELM | 2011 (Green Bay Packers) |
| WILL ALLEN | 2011 (Pittsburgh Steelers) |
| JAKE BALLARD | 2012 (New York Giants) |
| JIM CORDLE | 2012 (New York Giants) |
| ALEX BOONE | 2013 (San Francisco 49ers) |
| TED GINN | 2013 (San Francisco 49ers), 2016 (Carolina Panthers) |
| LARRY GRANT | 2013 (San Francisco 49ers) |
| DONTE WHITNER | 2013 (San Francisco 49ers) |
| NATE EBNER | 2015, 2017, 2019 (New England Patriots) |
| BRADLEY ROBY | 2016 (Denver Broncos) |
| COREY "PHILLY" BROWN | 2016 (Carolina Panthers) |
| KURT COLEMAN | 2016 (Carolina Panthers) |
| ANDREW NORWELL | 2016 (Carolina Panthers) |
| JOHN SIMON | 2019 (New England Patriots) |
| JAKE MCQUAIDE | 2019 (Los Angeles Rams) |
| DARRON LEE | 2020 (Kansas City Chiefs) |
| NICK BOSA | 2020, 2024 (San Francisco 49ers) |
| ELI APPLE | 2022 (Cincinnati Bengals) |
| VONN BELL | 2022 (Cincinnati Bengals) |
| SAM HUBBARD | 2022 (Cincinnati Bengals) |
| ISAIAH PRINCE | 2022 (Cincinnati Bengals) |
| TREY SERMON | 2023 (Philadelphia Eagles) |
| CHASE YOUNG | 2024 (San Francisco 49ers) |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | 2025 (Philadelphia Eagles) |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | 2026 (New England Patriots) |
| THAYER MUNFORD | 2026 (New England Patriots) |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | 2026 (Seattle Seahawks) |
| Winning players/years in bold | |
Vrabel is just the second former Ohio State player to lead a team to the Super Bowl as a head coach, joining Don McCafferty (an offensive lineman on Ohio State’s 1942 national championship team), who coached the Baltimore Colts to victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V in his first season as a head coach. Should Vrabel win the Super Bowl, he’d become just the fifth coach to win the Super Bowl in his first year with a team, joining McCafferty, George Seifert (49ers), Jon Gruden (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Gary Kubiak (Denver Broncos).
Vrabel led the Patriots to a 10-7 victory over the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. As has been the case throughout the playoffs, the Patriots’ defense led the way, holding the Broncos to 181 yards – with the assistance of heavy snow in the second half – and setting up their only touchdown of the game with an Elijah Ponder fumble recovery that would have been a touchdown if it hadn’t been whistled dead by the officials.
The Patriots’ victory also means that former Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson will play in the Super Bowl in his first NFL season. Henderson, who has a chance to become the first Buckeye ever to win the national championship and the Super Bowl in back-to-back years, had a quiet game against the Broncos – rushing for only five yards on three carries – but is a finalist for this year’s AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after running for 911 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season.
Fellow former Ohio State captain Thayer Munford Jr., who’s seen action as a sixth offensive lineman throughout the Patriots’ playoff run, will also play in the Super Bowl for the first time. Munford, who’s in his fourth NFL season, has been on the Patriots’ active roster since November, when they signed him off of the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad.
The Patriots beat the Broncos despite a touchdown-saving sack by former Ohio State defensive end Jonathon Cooper, who forced the Patriots to settle for a field goal by taking down Drake Maye on 3rd-and-goal in the third quarter. Three points would end up being all the Patriots needed, however, as neither team scored again for the remainder of the game.
Jonathon Snow
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
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Conference Championship Stats
Full playoff stats for every Buckeye who played in the NFL's conference championship round can be found in the table below, compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge. The table only includes players who have been on an active roster for at least one game this season and who finished their college careers at Ohio State.
| PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM | CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP STATS | PLAYOFF STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JONATHON COOPER | LB | BRONCOS | 2 tackles, 1 sack (2 yards) | 4 tackles, 1 sack (2 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits |
| J.K. DOBBINS | RB | BRONCOS | Injured reserve (foot) | Injured reserve (foot) |
| TY HAMILTON | DT | RAMS | Played at DT | 3 tackles |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | PATRIOTS | 3 carries, 5 yards | 24 carries, 57 yards; 2 catches, 7 yards |
| JAKE McQUAIDE | LS | RAMS | Played at LS | 3 games played at LS, 1 tackle |
| THAYER MUNFORD | OT | PATRIOTS | Started at OT | 1 start and 3 games played at OT |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | WR | SEAHAWKS | 10 catches, 153 yards, 1 TD | 13 catches, 172 yards, 2 TD |
| NICK VANNETT | TE | RAMS | Inactive | Played at TE |
